Sal Stewart’s meteoric rise turned a painful Reds decision into an easy one
Sal Stewart has rapidly turn out to be a fan-favorite within the metropolis of Cincinnati. The younger rookie was batting cleanup for the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day, and his .366/.471/.683 slash line by the primary two weeks of the season has simply justified that decision.
Stewart appears to be like like the true deal, which made all of it the better for the Reds to half with Christian Encarnacion-Strand earlier this week. Cincinnati wanted to make a corresponding transfer after deciding on the contract of PJ Higgins on Wednesday, and the Reds choose to designate Encarncion-Strand for assignment.
Reds’ DFA decision was easy due to Sal Stewart
CES, as he was identified all through Reds Country, burst onto the scene in 2023 and followers rapidly gravitated towards him due to his prodigious energy. Encarnacion-Strand walloped 13 dwelling runs in 63 video games as a rookie and posted a .805 OPS with a .477 slugging share.
But accidents derailed his ascent in 2024, and poor efficiency adopted. Encarnacion-Strand performed in simply 29 video games throughout his second season in Cincinnati, and a wrist harm that finally resulted in surgical procedure, landed him on the 60-day IL. Encarnacion-Strand returned to the sector in 2025, however appeared in simply 36 video games and hit .208 with a .610 OPS.
The Reds yo-yo’d Encarnacion-Strand backwards and forwards between Triple-A and the massive leagues till halfway by the 2025 season. Cincinnati lastly determined it was finest for his growth to stay within the minors all through the remainder of the season, and he closed out his marketing campaign hitting a meager .229/.287/.458 with a 25.4% strikeout fee.
The Reds are hoping that Stewart would not comply with the identical path that doomed CES, and in the mean time, it seems he is on an upward trajectory. Stewart started final season at Double-A Chattanooga, and after hitting .306 with a 146 wRC+ by 80 video games, the Reds promoted him to Triple-A.
Stewart continued to mash on the upper-level of the minor leagues, hitting .315 with a 164 wRC+ in 38 video games with the Louisville Bats. The Reds added Stewart to the Major League roster for the ultimate month of the season, and he was one of the workforce’s key performers throughout their temporary playoff look in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stewart has voiced his desire to remain with the Reds organization for the lengthy haul, however thus far, there’ve been no stories of a contract extension. Given Encarnacion-Strand’s fall from grace, some Reds followers are rightfully hesitant to hitch their wagon to Stewart. But the Reds rookie has continued to show the doubters improper, and there is each purpose to consider that can proceed.
