Feels like we have been here before. Sal Stewart objectively had one of the best rookie campaigns in Cincinnati Reds history, but it feels like many outlets overlook his 2026 season. First, Bleacher Report ranked him the 6th-best rookie in 2026. This time it was Baseball America's turn.
The Bleacher Report Ranking
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked Stewart as the No. 6 rookie in the league, which is low considering how dominant he was for a majority of the season. Bleacher Report cited Stewart's lack of an elite glove and lack of value on the bases as reasons why he was ranked so low. This is all despite Sal hitting over 30 home runs with 112 RBIs and being one of the best hitters with runners in scoring position. Ridiculous.
Stewart is being penalized as a defender because he plays first base. He's not a bad defender at the position, but WAR doesn't value the position compared to others. Sal should be the frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, but rhetoric around him and his abilities is often diminished. Another outlet seems to agree that Stewart's outlook is not as bright as we might think in Cincinnati.
The Baseball America Ranking
Recently, Baseball America released its Top 50 Graduated MLB Prospects in 2026 list. This list highlights the top-performing rookies who exhausted their prospect status and also provides analysis of the outlook of each player. They had Sal Stewart ranked 20th on the list.
Players such as Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, Payton Tolle, and JJ Wetherholt ranked ahead of Sal, and to be fair, all of those players are pretty good. But there were some questionable selections ahead of Stewart. Ranking players such as Bryce Eldridge, Travis Bazzana, Walbert Urena, and Joe Mack ahead of Sal Stewart feels like disrespect.
Baseball America also listed Stewart’s upside as “All-Star 1st Basemen,” an honor he already earned in 2026. If that is their projection for his ceiling, it is fair to wonder how much more they expect him to improve after his historic season. Either way, Stewart has already shown he can perform at that level and deserves to be ranked higher.
Another Red on the List
Stewart was not the only Red on Baseball America's list. Rhett Lowder was one of the Top 50 Rookies to graduate in 2026. Lowder was #41 on the list, and this one is interesting because Lowder made his professional debut on August 30th, 2024. Lowder missed the whole 2025 MLB season due to right forearm and left oblique injuries. After pitching for the Reds in 2026, Lowder has exhausted his rookie eligibility and will no longer appear on prospect lists.
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