Sal Stewart is truly entering rarified territory so far in his rookie campaign for the Cincinnati Reds, and you know that’s true when he does something comparable to Albert Pujols, one of baseball’s greatest-ever sluggers.
The success of Stewart’s rookie season was underscored again April 25 when he drove in five runs against the Detroit Tigers. First, he hit a three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning against the Detroit Tigers. It was his ninth homer of the season, and his 27 RBIs became the most by any Reds player prior to May since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.
Additionally, the 27 RBIs matched Pujols (2001) for second-most by any Major League rookie before May since 1920. Only Jose Abreu’s 32 RBIs in 2014 were better.
Then, Stewart set the bar higher with his two-run, bases-loaded single in the sixth inning. At 29 RBI’s, Stewart surpassed Pujols and bettered his mark in Reds history.
Above all else, Stewart is playing for a winning Reds team at the moment. The team entered play April 25 with a 17-9 record, and his homer put Cincinnati ahead in the second game of the Tigers series as the Reds sought their 18th victory of the season.
The RBI single put Cincinnati ahead, 8-2.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds’ Sal Stewart has this historic stat in common with Albert Pujols
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
