Sal Stewart Continues to Make Reds Rookie History in Unforgettable Night vs. Pirates

The Reds may have found the next pillar of the franchise.

Jul 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) throws to first to get Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (not pictured) out in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Friday night's matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates was supposed to be a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel. With Hunter Greene taking on Paul Skenes, finding runs was going to be difficult. Well, at least that's what everyone thought.

Instead, Friday's game happened to be an offensive explosion from both National League Central squads. In the end, it was the Reds standing tall in an 8-7 win, securing the first two games of the four-game series with the Pirates.

One of the leaders behind the Reds' win was rookie Sal Stewart, who knocked in 4 RBIs on the night. Those 4 RBIs helped Stewart reach another milestone in his incredible rookie season in Cincinnati.

Unforgettable Season

Jul 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A fan holds a sign as Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) prepares to bat in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just Baseball shared on their X account that Stewart's 84 RBIs on the season are the most by a rookie before the month of August in 75 years.

Stewart joins a list of rookies that includes Jose Abreu, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Albert Pujols, and Alvin Davis for the most RBIs heading into August.

It has been an unbelievable rookie season for Stewart. But his numbers are also part of another stat that almost sounds made up, but given who the Reds are, makes total sense.

Jul 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) reacts after hitting a two-run single against the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

OptaSTATS has shared that while Stewart leads MLB in RBIs. the Reds as a team rank 27th overall in RBIs.

Since RBIs became official in 1920, no player has finished the season leading the league in RBIs with their team finishing in the bottom five in runs scored.

That is, without question, one of the most Reds stats that could ever take place, and sums up the kind of season this has been for the franchise.

Edwin Arroyo (2) and Sal Stewart (27) talk in the dugout in the second nning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The Reds led 1-0 after four innings. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Stewart is one of the players who makes it so easy to root for this team. Fans could tell very early on, when he was called up late last season, that Stewart was bringing the energy needed for this team.

The Reds are now 52-57 on the season. While it's not out of the realm of possibility that the team could sneak into a Wild Card spot, the road is not going to be easy. But will a playoff spot be the top priority for the front office?

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the future of this franchise is on the line. The Reds have some choices to make before the deadline. However, one thing is for sure, the front office needs to go ahead and lock Stewart up with a long-term deal.