Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart has been named the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year, capping a strong debut season for the slugger.
Stewart joins Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, who earned the AL honor, as a rookie award winner.
Stewart finished with 20 of 30 first-place votes, and a total of 170 points, to edge out fellow finalists for the award, New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt.
Stewart has played in every game for the Reds this season. He slashed .263/.330/.457 while hitting 32 home runs and recording 112 RBIs (third in MLB) in 162 games.
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The Cincinnati first baseman made his debut on September 1, 2025. He played in 18 games last year, which did not meet the threshold to end his eligibility as a rookie.
Stewart began the 2026 campaign as the Reds’ starting first baseman. Cincinnati had struggled at the position since Joey Votto’s final season with the team in 2023.
Cincy began the 2024 and 25 seasons with Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base. This year, he started the year in the minors and was later traded to the Baltimore Orioles after Stewart established himself as the Reds’ starter.
Stewart is the ninth player in Cincinnati history to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. He joins 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).
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Stewart, Wetherholt and Benge were the three finalists for the 2026 NL honor, in a race that proved more competitive than the AL version.
Wetherholt played in 139 games this season. While Stewart led in most statistical categories, the Cardinals second baseman had the edge in WAR. Stewart posted 2.0 bWAR as a first baseman while Wetherholt posted 4.5 bWAR as second baseman.
Benge has 168 hits this season, seventh in MLB. The Mets outfielder’s .282 average was 15th among qualified hitters. He posted 4.3 bWAR.
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