How Reds' Sal Stewart has MLB history on his side for NL Rookie of the Year award originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While the 2026 season for the Cincinnati Reds has been a bit of a mess, there has been one major positive takeaway: rookie slugger Sal Stewart.
After an impressive debut in 2025, he's turned his game up a notch in 2026 and now, as September begins, looks to be the clear favorite in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
MLB.com's Jason Foster revealed this, with 24 out of 40 MLB experts voting him as the NL ROY favorite. But Foster also revealed that MLB history is on his side, as he might have already done enough to win this award.
"When a rookie pops 30+ homers and leads the Majors with a 105 RBIs at the end of August, it's hard to argue against him as the ROY frontrunner," Foster writes. "In fact, every rookie to compile a 30-homer, 100-RBI season since the award began in 1947 has taken home the trophy."
#side
While the 2026 season for the Cincinnati Reds has been a bit of a mess, there has been one major positive takeaway: rookie slugger Sal Stewart.
After an impressive debut in 2025, he's turned his game up a notch in 2026 and now, as September begins, looks to be the clear favorite in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
MLB.com's Jason Foster revealed this, with 24 out of 40 MLB experts voting him as the NL ROY favorite. But Foster also revealed that MLB history is on his side, as he might have already done enough to win this award.
"When a rookie pops 30+ homers and leads the Majors with a 105 RBIs at the end of August, it's hard to argue against him as the ROY frontrunner," Foster writes. "In fact, every rookie to compile a 30-homer, 100-RBI season since the award began in 1947 has taken home the trophy."
#side
12 days ago
