The Cincinnati Reds have gotten off to a hot start in 2026, as they were victorious in their first series of the season against the Boston Red Sox, taking two games out of three.
Cincinnati has vastly improved their offense from last season, especially after signing slugger Eugenio Suarez to a one year deal. However, Cincinnati has a rookie who is arguably their hottest hitter so far this season.
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22 year old rookie infielder Sal Stewart is one of Cincinnati’s top prospects, and was added to the teams opening day roster following a dominant spring training campaign.
We’re three games into the new season, and Stewart is looking like a legitimate rookie of the year candidate and future all-star.
Cincinnati Reds Infielder Sal Stewart (27) | © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Stewart was drafted 32nd overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Westminister Christian High School in Florida. Fast forward five years, and Stewart is Cincinnati’s number one overall prospect heading into the 2026 regular season.
Stewart’s best ability is his bat, as he possesses a 60 grade hit tool and 55 grade power, and so far in 2026 both tools are apparent.
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In spring training, Stewart dominated as he posted a .327/.450/.592 slash-line in 60 plate appearances with seven extra base hits (three home-runs) and eight RBI’s.
Stewart’s fantastic spring training campaign made it impossible for Cincinnati to keep him off of their Opening Day roster, and that decision is already paying dividends.
Stewart has appeared in all three games this season for Cincinnati, and has picked up right where he left off on spring training. In only 13 plate appearances, Stewart is 7-for-10 (.700 BA) with three doubles, one home-run and two RBI’s, which is good for a 2.069 OPS and a 490 OPS+.
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While the sample size is extremely small, Stewart looks like a legitimate franchise building block as his hit tool is undeniably good. However, this isn’t the only time Stewart has impressed at the big league level, as he had a strong 18 game stint with Cincinnati in 2025.
In 58 plate appearances last season, Stewart went 14-for-55 (.255) with five home-runs and eight RBI’s. Stewart posted a slash-line of .255/.293/.545 which equates to a stellar .839 OPS and a 121 OPS+.
With that being said, Stewart has now put up a 1.042 OPS with six home-runs, four doubles and 10 RBI’s in his first 21 big league games.
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While Stewart is likely to regress at some point, he has all the makings of being an elite infield option for Cincinnati to build their future around.