He’s only 21, but there’s already considerable excitement about Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Sal Stewart.
Stewart and catcher Alfredo Duno were the two Reds’ minor-leaguers named to the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game roster.
Stewart ranks No. 3 among MLB Pipeline’s top Reds’ prospects, and 52nd in MLB.
In April, Stewart hit a walk-off grand slam in the first game of a doubleheader for Double-A Chattanooga against the Birmingham Barons. In February, Stewart hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of the Reds’ Cactus League win against the Dodgers, his first homer in big-league camp.
Through 71 games this season for the Lookouts, Stewart is batting .327 with nine homers, 13 stolen bases and an OPS of .889 in 292 plate appearances.
What to know about Stewart:
Stewart hasn’t struck out much in the minors.
Many young prospects strike out a lot. Stewart walked more than he struck out in 518 plate appearances between Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton in 2023. And last season he walked 50 times with just 57 strikeouts in 338 plate appearances for the Dragons.
This season, Stewart has 86 hits and 47 strikeouts.
A wrist injury limited Stewart to 80 games in 2024. Among highlights at Dayton last season: Stewart helped the Dragons to a win against the Great Lakes Loons in June with a two-run, 454-foot home run that broke a 2-2 tie.
Stewart batted .279 with eight homers, 46 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and an OPS of .844 at Dayton. He was named the Reds’ minor-league player of the month for May.
The Reds selected Stewart in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft.
Stewart was a compensation pick for Nick Castellanos departing via free agency.
Stewart was the 32nd overall pick in 2022, out of Westminster Christian School in Miami, Florida. Westminster Christian’s best-known Major League Baseball alum is Alex Rodriguez.
Stewart has trained with former Red Yonder Alonso and Manny Machado in Miami. Stewart has called Machado one of his closest friends.
The Reds took Stewart’s teammate, Cam Collier, 18th overall in 2022.
Defensively, Stewart has split time between second and third base.
This season, Stewart has played 59 games at third base, and just four at second base.
In 2024, Stewart played at second base in 36 games (313 innings). He played at third base in 33 games (288 innings).
In 2023 at Low-A Daytona, Stewart played 45 games at third, and just eight games at second.
Stewart had committed to Vanderbilt when the Reds drafted him.
Stewart opted to sign with Cincinnati out of high school, which included a $2,100,000 bonus.
Stewart had 30 home runs and 31 doubles in 91 varsity games in high school.
He was a co-champion of the 2021 high school Home Run Derby in Colorado, including one homer he hit 533 feet with a metal bat.
Stewart also played basketball in high school.
“Stewart’s advanced approach has been apparent from day one of his pro career,” MLB Pipeline’s Stewart profile reads. “He makes a lot of hard contact and can send line drives to all fields consistently against all kinds of pitching. Just 21 for all of this season, he’s still learning to tap into his considerable raw power, with confidence it will come without him losing any of his hitability.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Sal Stewart? Reds’ minor-leaguer named to 2025 MLB Futures Game roster
Reporting by Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
