Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart is the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year. Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes and 170 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, according to USA Today, finishing ahead of New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt.
The numbers made the case. The 22-year-old played all 162 games for the Reds, hit .263 with a .330 on-base percentage and a .457 slugging percentage, slugged 32 home runs and drove in 112 runs — a Reds rookie record — according to USA Today and Field Level Media. His 32 homers and 57 extra-base hits led National League rookies, according to The Score.
Stewart was the only player listed on every ballot, according to The Score. Benge received seven first-place votes and Wetherholt three, according to Just Baseball’s breakdown of the voting.
He is the ninth Reds player to win Rookie of the Year, joining a group that includes Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Johnny Bench, according to The Score. Jonathan India was the last Red to win the award, in 2021, according to USA Today. Stewart showed his potential during a late-season callup in 2025 and kept his rookie eligibility for 2026, Field Level Media reported, and he was also an All-Star selection representing the National League.
The award also pays the club. Under Major League Baseball’s Prospect Promotion Incentive, the Reds will receive an additional draft selection after the first round of the 2027 MLB Draft because their rookie won the award, according to Field Level Media and USA Today. Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle won the American League award with 28 of 30 first-place votes, Field Level Media reported.
Stewart was the first rookie in Reds history to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in a season, according to the totals reported by USA Today. His 112 RBIs topped all rookies in both leagues, according to The Score.
What happens next for Cincinnati is the offseason build around its young first baseman. Stewart is also up for a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award, according to Blog Red Machine, and the Reds head into 2027 with their Rookie of the Year under team control as the centerpiece of the lineup.
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