LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Sal Stewart was called up to play with the Louisville Bats on July 18.
The prospect was drafted in 2022 by the Reds out of Westminster Christian School in Miami, Florida.
The Cincinnati Reds prospect is ranked as the 39th overall prospect by the MLB Pipeline.
Sports Anchor Dusty Baker sat down with Stewart to discuss his development.
“Sal, you just got called up here to Triple-A,” said Baker. “Talk about how special it was to receive that call and what it was like to be told you’re going to this next level just shy of the MLB.”
“It was awesome,” said Stewart. “All of my hard work is paying off. I put a lot of time into my craft, and it is just a nice stepping stone. Obviously, you want to get to the big leagues, and this is just another stop. I just want to keep getting better every day.”
“A lot of people will see your name on these top 100 prospect lists,” said Baker. “You’ve been on those lists for a while. Has there been pressure involved in that because of the attention that you’ve gotten as you made your way through the minor leagues?”
“No pressure,” said Stewart. “I don’t really look too much into that. All of those are just numbers. At the end of the day, everyone has to put their cleats on and go out and play. It’s obviously an honor, and my hard work is paying off. My teammates are great, coaches, everyone’s been great. I haven’t had the start that I would like, but it happens as part of the game. I’m not going to hit .300 every week. I’ve spoken to Tito. I’ve spoken to PK. They just want me to continue playing the game hard, continue to get better on defense, continuing my throwing program, and just want me to work on all the little things.”
“What are you doing when you’re not here at the facilities practicing?” asked Baker.
“I love to play video games with my best friends,” said Stewart. “We play every day.”
“What is your go to game?” asked Baker.“I love college football,” said Stewart. “It just came out. My friends love MLB The Show, so I try to stay away from baseball off the field, but when they talk crazy, I’ve got to play and then we just yell at each other and it’s the best.”
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