With mentor Napoli at his side, Stewart taking strides at first base

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- As the sun rises over the fleet of retired passenger jets adjacent to the Reds Spring Training complex each morning, it's not uncommon to see Sal Stewart on a practice field with assistant bench coach Mike Napoli.

Stewart, who got a crash course as a professional first baseman after debuting for Cincinnati in September, spent his offseason working at the position. The 22-year-old natural third baseman known for his mature offensive approach knew his best path to stay in the Major Leagues for the club would be at first base.

“He’s a hard worker, a lovable kid," said Napoli, a former All-Star first baseman and catcher. "It’s nice coming out to work with him every day. He’s hungry. He’s young. He wants to be good. He wants to play. It’s nice to have someone like that who wants to be good.”

Whether it's in early work or during regular camp drills, Napoli and Stewart go over the finer points of the position. The coach felt that Stewart -- the Reds' top prospect who is ranked No. 22 overall by MLB Pipeline -- already had good enough hands from playing third base and second base.

But beyond fielding grounders and receiving throws from other infielders, there are also different techniques and intricacies to understand about first base, too.

"A lot of people think that [with] first base you can throw anybody over there and they’ll be alright. There’s a lot to it -- the footwork, where to be on cutoffs, trailing runners when there’s balls hit in the gap and being in the right spot," Napoli said. "But he’s getting better and better every single day. We’re working on a lot of the pick [in the dirt] stuff and his technique is getting better.

"He’s definitely feeling a lot more comfortable. The more repetition you get, the better you can possibly be.”

With two-time Gold Glove winner Ke'Bryan Hayes cemented at third base and Matt McLain at second base, the Reds still have the opening at first base. The club signed veteran Nathaniel Lowe to a Minor League deal with a non-roster invite to Spring Training on Feb. 14 for depth and competition. Spencer Steer, a Gold Glove finalist at first base last season, will play left field, second base and first base.

In his 18 big league games last season, Stewart batted .255/.293/.545 with five home runs, eight RBIs and 11 runs scored.

"It doesn’t go unnoticed, the extra work," McLain said of Stewart. "At the end of the day, that’s what it takes -- the extra work, that extra attention to detail. And he has that. It’s cool watching him because he’s 22.”

The dual threat Stewart could potentially become showed during Wednesday's win over the White Sox in Glendale. Leading off the top of the second inning, he tattooed a first-pitch sinker to center field for his first spring homer. It traveled a Statcast-projected 440 feet.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stewart made a nice defensive play with a diving stop. After rolling on the ground, he touched the bag for the unassisted out.

“They were both good," Stewart said of the two moments. "I’m just happy to be back playing. I enjoy being out here. I love what I do. I just have a good time being out there.

“I’ve got a lot to prove. I’m excited to go out there and do it.”

Stewart, who dropped 26 pounds over the winter to improve his mobility and athleticism, has been on a mission especially after making a costly throwing error during the playoffs.

The rookie felt like he has progressed since camp opened.

“One-hundred percent," Stewart said. "I feel like as a defender, I’ve really improved and I hope to continue to improve as well.”

Stewart and Napoli both grew up in South Florida and quickly developed a relationship at camp last year. That helped when Stewart, who had logged only two games at first base for Triple-A Louisville, was called up.

“I really tried to take him under my wing and give him all the information and help that I possibly could," Napoli said.

Stewart often checked in with manager Terry Francona during the winter to tell him he was prioritizing defensive improvements during workouts.

"He’s moving better, as you can tell," Francona said. “I give him credit. It’s easy to say it but he followed through on it. He was sending me videos. I know he was sending Nap videos. He was proud of what he was doing. He should be. Golly, he worked his [butt] off.”