The Cincinnati Reds have been disappointing this year and they’re going to finish the season below .500 despite a few tremendous seasons from their best players.
Elly De La Cruz has posted his best season yet. He should receive top-three MVP votes when the season comes to an end. Chase Burns is bound to receive National League Cy Young votes after a tremendous year. Sal Stewart is bound to secure the NL Rookie of the Year award as long as everything goes to plan.
Mark Sheldon of MLB.com recently listed Stewart as the Reds’ top player to watch in the last week of the season, citing his chase for the NL Rookie of the Year award as the biggest reason why.
“Stewart will be trying to put the finishing touches on a season that should net him the NL Rookie of the Year Award,” Sheldon wrote. “The 22-year-old is the 14th rookie since 1920 to post a 30-homer, 100-RBI season, and each of the last nine that did it since the award started in 1947 have won it, the most recent being Pete Alonso for the Mets in 2019. Stewart is currently second in MLB overall in RBIs with 110. If he can overtake Burleson, he would be the third rookie to finish a season leading in that category since RBIs became an official statistic in 1913, joining Ted Williams (1939) and Walt Dropo (1950).”
Stewart has been the best rookie in the NL for the entire season. He’s posted 32 home runs and 110 RBIs while holding an OPS over .800 through 156 games this season. He has a few games left in the campaign, which puts him in the perfect spot to add to his tremendous RBI count to finish the NL Rookie of the Year campaign.
Stewart has looked like a veteran of the game despite being only 22 years old. His plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills allow him to be a tough out. The raw power he’s showcased in games makes him a nightmare for any pitcher to face.
Posting stats like this in his rookie campaign is a huge positive sign for the Reds. Cincinnati needs him to continue improving if it wants a chance to compete in the near future. Stewart should only get better as time goes on.
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