Sal Stewart Earns Recognition From Baseball America After Standout Rookie Season With Reds

He had a great season.

Sep 16, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 National League Rookie of the Year race is heating up. Going into September, Stewart had the award all but wrapped up. Unfortunately, Stewart's average month has brought the Rookie of the Year debate back into focus. Competitors like JJ Wetherholt, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and TJ Rumfield are starting to get more buzz after the end of the regular season. Stewart got a big boost in his standing in the race by being named to an All-Rookie team over one of his competitors.

The All-Rookie Team

Baseball America recently named Sal Stewart to its 2026 All-Rookie Team, noting that his success went well beyond taking advantage of Great American Ball Park.

“The 22-year-old Stewart is such a well-rounded hitter that he didn’t receive as much of a boost as others from his hitter-friendly home park,” Baseball America wrote. “He had similar home/road outputs in categories such as batting average, OPS, and total bases.”

Indeed, Stewart did not amass the majority of his stats in the friendly confines of Great American Ballpark. In fact, in 81 games at GABP, Stewart hit .257 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs. While on the road, Stewart hit .269 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. So he did not stat pad at Great American Small Park. You cannot say the same thing about one of Stewart's competitors.

The Rookie of the Year Competition

Sep 16, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) walks off the field at the end of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sal Stewart was the first baseman for Baseball America's All-Rookie team. One of the players whom Stewart beat out for the team is fellow Rookie of the Year candidate TJ Rumfield. Despite Sal Stewart having very impressive counting stats like home runs and RBIs, there are outlets that rank Rumfield higher because he has a higher WAR than Stewart.

One notable person has Rumfield ahead of Stewart in the Rookie of the Year race. And he isn't the only one out there favoring Rumfield. But Baseball America does not agree that Rumfield should be ahead of Stewart. Rumfield has benefited from hitting at Coors Field this year, as he hit .305 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs. While on the road, he only hit .295 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs.

All in all, Sal has had a fantastic year, and some outlets have recognized that. Others not so much. But after being named to the Baseball America All-Rookie Team, it should be obvious that Stewart should finish ahead of TJ Rumfield in the Rookie of the Year voting. But soon, we will see.