CHICAGO -- It could be a close competition over the final month of the season for National League Rookie of the Year. But Reds first baseman Sal Stewart now has something on his side the other candidates won't have.
History.
Amid a rough day for the Reds pitching staff during a lopsided 17-5 loss to the Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field, Stewart added to his special rookie season by hitting his 30th home run of 2026 in the top of the third inning. At the time, the two-run drive to left-center field off of Kevin Gausman cut Chicago's four-run lead in half.
“I thought, ‘OK, we’re going to make a game of this.’ He’s having an incredible rookie year," manager Terry Francona said. "Every day it seems like somebody wants to ask me something, and I understand why.”
Stewart, 22, became the second rookie in Cincinnati's franchise history to have a 30-homer season. He joined Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who slugged 38 homers in 1956.
Also with a Major League-leading 104 RBIs on the year, Stewart is the only Reds rookie to ever put together a 30-homer, 100-RBI season.
“It’s really cool," Stewart said. "Probably take time after the season to look into it. We kind of got our teeth kicked into us today. I’m blessed. I’ll probably enjoy it after the season.”
Here's where history could be on Stewart's side. He also became the 14th Major League rookie all-time to put together a 30-homer, 100-RBI season. Each of the last nine to do it since the Rookie of the Year Award began (1947) have all won it.
Those winners are Walt Dropo (1950), Ron Kittle (1983), Jose Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987), Mike Piazza (1993), Albert Pujols (2001), José Abreu (2014), Aaron Judge (2017) and Pete Alonso (2019).
Stewart, who was 2-for-4 in the game, added a two-out single to center field in the seventh inning. During his 13-game streak of reaching base -- his second-longest of the year -- he is 17-for-53 (.321) with a .362 on-base percentage, four homers and 13 RBIs.
"A rookie will hit a proverbial wall in August or September and his at-bats seem to be getting better," closer Emilio Pagán noted on Friday, after Stewart had two hits, including a homer in Cincinnati's 10-8 win.
While playing in all 136 games this season, Stewart is batting .265 with an .821 OPS. He is the first Reds player to have a 30-homer season since 2021, when Joey Votto, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suárez all did it.
“Just sticking to what I do," Stewart of his late season success. "In the offseason, I feel like I train, my trainer gets me ready. Me and Manny [Machado], we build for these moments for the whole 162. Kind of just goes back to what we do in the offseason. We feel like we put in extra work so at this time [of year], we can continue playing.”
While the non-contending Reds (64-72) have several open questions about what their lineup might look like in 2027, there is zero doubt that Stewart will be who the lineup is built around.
Stewart is a leading contender for NL Rookie of the Year along with Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and Mets outfielder Carson Benge. While Wetherholt has especially sterling defensive numbers and Benge has solid all-around stats, neither match Stewart's overall offensive production.
Besides homers and RBIs, Stewart is first among NL rookies in hits (138), extra-base hits (54) and total bases (252). He’s also tied for first in OPS and second behind Wetherholt in runs (78) and third in walks (57).
Stewart also has the most RBIs as a rookie for the club after he surpassed Jim Greengrass' 100 from 1953 on Friday.
If Stewart finishes the season leading the Majors in RBIs, he would join Ted Williams (1939) and Dropo (1950) as the only rookies to do it.
"Impressive," said Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, who lasted only three-plus innings and tied a season-high with seven runs allowed. That included two of Pete Crow-Armstrong's three homers in the game. "The resiliency, when you have bad games, to come back, big moments, being clutch, showing up every day ready to work whether it’s DH, first base, third base, second base.
"Just availability is huge in this game and being able to perform every day regardless of what’s in front of you, who’s pitching, who we’re facing, elements, all that stuff weighed in -- it’s impressive.”