For the first time in years, the Cincinnati Reds have a hitter who\u2019s even better than Elly De La Cruz. <\/p>\n
On Monday night, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to pitch to Elly De La Cruz with a runner on second base in the 10th inning so that they\u2019d have the flexibility to intentionally walk Sal Stewart (De La Cruz ended up delivering the walk-off hit). On Wednesday night, with the Reds up by two runs and a runner on third, the Cardinals intentionally walked Stewart. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe just keeps delivering,\u201d veteran outfielder TJ Friedl said. \u201cThat\u2019s the biggest thing. He\u2019s always up in those moments. He delivers time and time again. There\u2019s a lot of respect for him, who he is and his presence in the box.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the game on Wednesday, Stewart hit the decisive three-run homer that led the Reds to a 5-4 victory. He leads the entire league in RBI, and he\u2019s on pace to finish the year with 36 homers. Stewart leads the Reds in hits, doubles, homers and OPS, and he\u2019s tied with De La Cruz for the team lead in batting average. <\/p>\n
\u201cSal is doing a phenomenal job of being a cornerstone of this offense,\u201d Friedl said. \u201cHe\u2019s just so consistent. He\u2019s the same guy every day. That\u2019s what makes him such a great hitter. He enjoys the big moments. It\u2019s fun to watch. Any time it\u2019s a big moment and he\u2019s in the box, you know he\u2019s going to get the job done. A lot of poise.\u201d<\/p>\n
When teams face the Reds now, it feels like Stewart is the name that\u2019s circled as the biggest threat in the Reds\u2019 order. It\u2019s the first time since De La Cruz\u2019s rookie season that another hitter has demanded more attention than the Reds\u2019 franchise shortstop. Hypothetically, with the game on the line, Stewart is the Reds\u2019 hitter you want up at the plate. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a really good hitter,\u201d Terry Francona said. \u201cI know he relishes those opportunities. Thankfully, he does.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s no slight on De La Cruz, who will be on MVP ballots this season. He\u2019s in a bit of a slump now, but he has had an exceptional season. He\u2019s a very productive hitter, and he\u2019s extremely valuable on the bases and at a premium defensive position at shortstop. But this year, Stewart has simply been a better hitter than De La Cruz has been. <\/p>\n
Just like Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, De La Cruz and Stewart make each other\u2019s lives easier. <\/p>\n
There are a lot of reasons why the Reds have a 61-66 record with playoff chances that look very slim. Especially of late, you\u2019ve felt how topheavy the Reds\u2019 lineup is and how much the offense is overreliant on Stewart and De La Cruz. With De La Cruz going through some struggles recently and with Stewart\u2019s power production down over the last couple of weeks (up until Wednesday\u2019s game), the Reds have scored two runs or fewer in six of their last 12 games. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot of frustration,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t been playing the way we\u2019re capable of, starting with myself. I could have been better, setting the tone more. It was exciting to put some runs on the board (today). We\u2019ve been busting our tails. I trust these guys.\u201d <\/p>\n
As Stewart meets with the media, Dane Myers shouts, \u201cGod bless the Rookie of the Year.\u201d <\/p>\n
With his three-run homer that beat the Cardinals on Wednesday, Stewart became the third-fastest Red by games (145) to reach 100 career RBI since RBI became an official stat in 1920. The guys who reached that milestone quicker than Stewart did with the Reds played in the 1940s and the 1950s. <\/p>\n
Stewart\u2019s 94 RBI this season are also second-most by any Reds rookie in a season since the stat became official in 1920, and he\u2019s well on pace to beat the record of 100 that was set in 1953. <\/p>\n
No stat better sums up Stewart\u2019s prolific rookie year than his RBI total. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a stat the people don\u2019t value as much anymore,\u201d Francona said on Tuesday. \u201cI look up at that all the time. Me and (Reds bench coach) Freddie (Benavides) look at that wRC+ on the board. There are a lot of players that have a wRC+ higher than Sal. One guy had 19 RBIs. I don\u2019t get it. There\u2019s something to be said for a guy that\u2019s got (12) stolen bases, (27) home runs and (94) RBI. That\u2019s pretty damn good.\u201d<\/p>\n
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