Cincinnati Reds Rookie Sal Stewart Could Join Elite Status With Organization

Things have been rocky for the Reds, but for Sal Stewart, personal success couldn't be any better.

Jun 5, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) hits a two run double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds have been playing some very, very, very bad, no-good baseball. The April that will be remembered for centuries has spiraled into the stuff of nightmares for the club in May and June.

Coming into Tuesday's matchup with the San Diego Padres, the Reds are 1-6 in the month of June, and we're not even going to get into the weeds that is their record against the rest of the National League Central.

Yeah, all hope seems lost. But if you're looking for something to be proud of this season, look no further than rookie Sal Stewart.

Rookie Sensation

Jun 5, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) reacts after hitting a two run double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

That sensational April that keeps us all awake at night would not have happened without the play of Stewart. Actually, the Reds' rookie is still on an elite pace this season.

During the team's broadcast on Monday night, it was shown that Stewart has the chance to etch his name in Reds rookie history.

Stewart's current OPS is at .802. That has him at sixth in franchise history since 1901, behind players like Frank Robinson, Joey Votto, Jonathan India, Tony Cuccinello, and Stewart's current teammate, Spencer Steer. Think about all those players during their rookie season. Most became more than a rookie sensation.

Need Stewart's Dominance

May 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Sal Stewart (27) bats against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Stewart has been flexing his muscles at the plate this season, and the Reds need it more than ever, given the current situation.

The Reds are without star shortstop Elly De La Cruz as he recovers from a hamstring issue. Unfortunately, the timing of his return is really unknown. Hate to go back to talking about this past April, but with Stewart, De La Cruz was the other half of the two-headed monster that had this team atop the NL Central.

If the Reds are going to be able to Flex Seal the holes in this team at the moment, they will need Stewart to keep up his dominant pace.

Jun 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Sal Stewart (27) throws to first in attempt to get Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (not pictured) out in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The beauty of baseball is that it could take one good week to turn a season around. For the Reds, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. However, all the talk has been about sending the front office a message, yelling at Terry Francona, and wondering whether anyone from AAA will come up and be productive at the plate. There are a lot of issues with this team, and there are issues that are not going to be solved overnight.

One thing that is not an issue with this team is the play of Stewart.