The Baseball Writers Association of America announced Monday evening that Reds first baseman Sal Stewart won the National League Rookie of the Year award. The win allows Cincinnati to secure a pick after the first round of the 2027 draft via prospect promotion incentive.
Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes and was the only National League player to place in the top five in every ballot. He beat the Mets outfielder Carson Benge and Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt for honors. Benge received seven first-place votes and participated in all but two ballots, leading him to second place. Wetherholt, who finished third, received the other three first-place votes.
Nolan McLean, TJ RumfieldAnd Logan Henderson did other players receive one or more votes in the top three. They finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the voting. Bryce Eldridge, Didier FuentesAnd AJ Ewing were the only other players to appear on the ballots (no more than fifth in their case).
Stewart made his debut last September, but remained eligible as a rookie through 2026. He was Cincinnati’s Opening Day first baseman. Stewart started 110 games there, 33 at third base, 11 as a designated hitter and seven at second base. He led NL rookies with 700 plate appearances and hit .263/.330/.457 with 32 home runs, 12 more than any other rookie in the league. Stewart blew away the rest of the field by driving in 112 runs, nearly 40 RBIs ahead of any other freshman. Cardinals’ only first baseman Alex Burleson prevented Stewart from directing all NL hitters in this category, as he finished eighth in the league in home runs.
Stewart’s volume and gaudy counting stats likely would have made him a runaway in previous eras of baseball. It was more of a borderline case in today’s game, as the park’s adjustments for Cincinnati’s hitter-friendly stadium and Stewart’s lack of defensive value weighed him down in the eyes of the WAR models. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have Stewart rated at two wins above replacement, about half the WAR totals for Benge and Wetherholt. The majority of voters placed high importance on Stewart’s power production in the middle of Terry Francona’s list, keeping him at the top of their ballots.
Wetherholt and Benge were Gold Glove finalists at second base and right field, respectively. Wetherholt looked to be Stewart’s best competition for most of the season, but his bat wilted in the second half after a two-week absence due to right wrist tendinitis. Benge, who was one of the best hitters in the NL after the All-Star Break, ended up being Stewart’s biggest challenger behind a 20-20 season with a .282/.346/.430 performance.
All three finalists met the criteria for the prospect promotion incentive and opened the year on their respective teams’ MLB rosters. This meant that whoever won the prize was guaranteed to give their team a PPI pick. Stewart’s win secures this pick for Cincinnati – one of three that will be awarded next year. Kevin McGonigle won one for Detroit by winning the AL Rookie of the Year award, while Parker Messick got one for Cleveland with a top three finish in AL Cy Young voting.
Stewart is the Reds’ second Rookie of the Year winner this decade and the ninth winner in the club’s history. Frank Robinson (1956), Pete Rose (1963), Tommy Helms (1966), Johnny bench (1968), Pat Zachry (1976), Chris Sabo (1988), Scott Williamson (1999) and Jonathan India (2021) are the franchise’s previous winners. They are tied with the Athletics for fourth overall ROY winners, behind the Dodgers, Yankees and Braves.
Image courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images.
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