The Cincinnati Reds are calling up Sal Stewart according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Earlier on Sunday the team saw Connor Joe designated for assignment and clear waivers, then outrighted him to Triple-A. That move cleared a spot on the 40-man roster. Stewart, one of the Reds top prospects, is not on the 40-man roster and will needed to be added before he can be called up.
For Stewart, he had stated in spring training that his goal in 2025 was to reach the big leagues. Having never played above A-ball, that was a lofty goal, but he went to Double-A and was leading the league in average and was in the top 10 of every statistical category an offensive player can be in except for stolen bases after 80 games when he was promoted to Triple-A.
Stewart has hit better since arriving in Louisville than he had hit in Chattanooga with the Lookouts. In the 38 games since his promotion he’s hit .315/.394/.629. Overall on the year he has now racked up 34 doubles and 20 home runs in his 118 games played between the two levels.
This season he has played mostly third base, but has had some time at second base and even less over at first. Stewart tends to be sure-handed and makes accurate throws. But he does not have much range in the field and is not likely suited to play second base in the big leagues. At third base his limited range is something you can get away with a bit more. With just two starts at first base in his entire career, that’s probably not a spot you’d play him right now, either.
Of course even if there’s not a position for him to play in the field right away, the National League now has the designated hitter spot, so there’s a way for him to get into the lineup.
The big question is why the club took so long to make this move? They have struggled all month long to score runs. And with Stewart hitting the cover off of the ball, making tons of contact, using the entire field, hitting 430+ foot home runs, they just kept him in Triple-A while half of the lineup wasn’t hitting their body weight and struggled to slug the body weight of an average NFL offensive lineman.
Instead the team waited until September when the rosters expanded, after going 2-8 and falling to the .500 mark before winning on Sunday, to call up the hottest (and arguably most talented) hitter they’ve got in the minor leagues. And unless the team adds him to the roster before midnight, if they somehow pull off a miracle and make the playoffs, he won’t even be eligible unless someone else gets hurt and he can take their spot.
You can see the career stats for Sal Stewart here.
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