The Cincinnati Reds have had a strong run of Rookie of the Year talent over the years, and the list starts with one of the franchise’s biggest names. Frank Robinson became the first Reds player to win the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1956, putting together a season that announced him in a big way: a .290 average, 38 home runs, 83 RBI and a league-leading 122 runs.
The next Reds rookie to claim the honor was Pete Rose, who hit .273 and scored 101 runs. Tommy Helms followed in 1966, earning the award after batting .284 with nine home runs.
Johnny Bench took the trophy in 1968 and did it with the kind of all-around impact that quickly became his calling card. As a rookie, he hit .275 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI while also winning a Gold Glove award.
On the pitching side, Pat Zachry brought the award back to Cincinnati in 1976 after going 14-7 with a 2.74 ERA and six complete games. Then came Chris Sabo in 1988, when he hit .271, piled up 40 doubles and stole 46 bases.
The most recent Reds rookie to win the award before Jonathan India was Scot Williamson in 1999. He went 12-7 with 19 saves and a 2.41 ERA, striking out 107 batters in 93 1/3 innings.
Jonathan India joined that group in 2021. He hit .269 with 34 doubles, 21 home runs and 69 RBI as a rookie.
In Other News...
Jonathan Stewart Just Delivered A Reds Rookie Season Fans Wont Forget
Jonathan Stewarts first full season in Cincinnati ended with the kind of recognition that usually follows a breakout year, not just a promising one. The Baseball Writers Association of America named him National League Rookie of the Year after a campaign in which he played all 162 games, hit .263 and powered the Reds lineup with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs.
For a club that spent the season leaning on his bat, Stewarts production stood out not only across the league but in franchise history, where he reset the rookie standard for power and run production. He led NL rookies in several offensive categories and gave the Reds a middle-of-the-order presence they could count on every day, even as the bigger question now is what comes next after a season like this. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Need An Unusual Offseason Move To Fix Their Pitching
The Reds are heading into an offseason where the pitching staff could look different, and that kind of uncertainty tends to push a front office toward less familiar avenues. One possibility that has surfaced is Japan, where Cincinnati could consider adding a starter with a track record of durability and enough versatility to help stabilize a rotation that may need reinforcements.
The fit is not straightforward, though. Cincinnati does not have the kind of long-standing ties to Nippon Professional Baseball that make these moves feel routine, so any pursuit would require real conviction and a willingness to step outside the usual market. For a club trying to protect itself against possible departures on the mound, the appeal is obvious, even if the path to getting there is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Have Every Reason To Push Back On This Award Race
Sal Stewart gave the Reds plenty to feel good about in his rookie season, and the bat alone made him one of the most productive first-year players in the National League. He finished third in the league in RBIs and added 32 home runs, the kind of power output that can carry a lineup and shape an award race all by itself.
Still, Rookie of the Year is rarely decided on offense alone, and this one has a few layers for anyone looking beyond the counting stats. The finalists include Stewart, Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and Mets right fielder Carson Benge, and the broader numbers paint a different picture, with Wetherholt and Benge bringing more complete value across the board. For Reds fans, the case for Stewart is obvious, but so is the argument that the race may be tighter than his home run total suggests. [Read more 🡒]