The Reds are calling up top infield prospect Sal Stewart, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports. The transaction will presumably be made official prior to Cincinnati’s game with Toronto on Monday, and corresponding moves might not be necessary since rosters are expanding and the Reds have an open spot on the 40-man roster.
Stewart was the 32nd overall pick of the 2022 draft, and he’ll be making his big league debut whenever he first appears in a game. Beyond just the regular pressure of playing in the majors for the first time, Stewart is also joining a Reds team that is desperately trying to stay in the wild card picture. The Reds’ win over the Cardinals today was only Cincinnati’s second victory in its last 10 games, as the Reds have dropped to a 69-68 record and four games behind the Mets for the last NL wild card slot.
If anything, Cincinnati fans would’ve preferred to have seen Stewart in the Show weeks ago, given how the lineup has been struggling and Stewart has been crushing minor league pitching. The infielder has a combined .309/.383/.523 slash line over 494 plate appearances in Double-A (329 PA) and Triple-A (165 PA) this season, which marked the first time Stewart had played above A-level ball. It has been a rapid rise for a player who is just 21 years old, and it is possible he might’ve made it to the majors even sooner if a wrist injury hadn’t limited him to 80 games in 2024.
MLB Pipeline’s midseason update of its top-100 prospects list ranked Stewart 31st in all of baseball, while Baseball America has Stewart 86th on its top 100. Both pundits give Stewart a 60-grade for his hit tool, and both cited the fact that Stewart has nearly as many walks (184) as strikeouts (216) over the course of his 1378 career PA in the minor leagues. Stewart is very skilled at making hard and consistent contact, and he has upside in the power department — with 20 homers in the minors this year, Stewart is already showing signs of developing that pop.
Stewart has mostly played third base during his career, while also seeing some time as a second baseman and playing in his first two pro games as a first baseman while at Triple-A. Evaluators aren’t sure about his defensive future and first base might ultimately end up being his ideal position down the road, but for now, Stewart could help out at multiple spots within the struggling Reds infield.
Cincinnati has stayed in the playoff mix despite getting negative-bWAR production from first base, second base, and third base. Ke’Bryan Hayes was acquired at the trade deadline to at least stabilize third base from a defensive standpoint, but the Reds have stuck with Spencer Steer and Matt McLain at the other two infield spots despite subpar offense. Stewart could easily be given some at-bats at the expense of Steer or McLain, with second base probably being the likelier landing spot since Stewart is still relatively inexperienced as a first baseman.
Due to the late call-up, Stewart will retain his rookie status heading into 2026. He would also therefore qualify under the Prospect Promotion Incentive rules, so he could earn the Reds a bonus draft pick if he remains on the MLB roster for the entire 2026 season.
