GOODYEAR, ARIZONA—Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Sal Stewart locks in on his target. He’s in the weight room at the Reds’ spring training complex wearing a black pair of boxing gloves. Reds legend Barry Larkin is holding up the punch mitts, eager to see what this 21-year-old has in him. Jab. Jab cross. Jab jab cross.
Stewart is putting together combination moves, showing the skill of a trained boxer and the competitive spirit of a self-made top prospect. Larkin sees something in him beyond the boxing finesse.
“He has a huge high ceiling,” says the Hall of Fame shortstop. “His baseball IQ is off the chart. He just gets it. He understands. He’s very advanced for such a young player. I think the world of him.”
When the Reds drafted Stewart with their second pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, he didn’t seem like a prospect with a ton of upside. He profiled as a first baseman who could hit for some power and might find a place in a big-league lineup down the road.
Stewart had his own idea of the player he was going to be. “Sometimes people just say things without watching,” he says. “I’ve put in the work. Sometimes we go by what people say and not what actually is going on. I’m excited for this season. It comes from everyone telling me that I couldn’t do it. It fuels me. That’s who I am.”
He’s in the middle of being proven right. MLB Pipeline recently ranked him as the No. 84 prospect in MLB, but there’s a lot of belief in the Reds organization and around baseball that Stewart’s stock is about to skyrocket. He hit .279 with a .844 OPS in High-A last year and earned a call-up to big league camp. With his improved athleticism, Stewart is playing second and third base.
With his polished old-school approach at the plate, Stewart represents the next big hitter who’s on his way to join the young core in Cincinnati. He’ll likely begin the season in Double-A.
“He’s way more mature than his age,” says Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder, who played with Stewart last year. “He has a great approach and plays the game the right way. It’s really impressive.”
Stewart does a little bit of everything. His biggest strength as a hitter is his ability to use the entire field. Early last season, his manager in High-A told him to “Be that guy” on the team, giving him the leeway and the opportunity to hit for power, hit for average, or do whatever he felt like he needed to do to help the team win.
The results translated to the field, with Stewart showing some great instincts. “He’s pretty educated,” says Reds pitching prospect Luis Mey. “He knows the strike zone. He has juice. He has raw power. He just knows how to do it. He’s young, and he projects to be one of the best in the league.”
When Stewart talks about the art of hitting, he sounds a lot older than his age. He describes his approach as being “a good hitter first and then letting the power come.” In a day and age when prospects are chasing home runs, he prioritizes keeping his approach consistent. “We forget the skill of being a hitter,” says Stewart, who spends every batting practice session and every game making sure he doesn’t forget that skill.
He gained that perspective from the big-league mentors he’s worked with for years. Former Reds first baseman and former All-Star Yonder Alonso is a close family friend, and Alonso introduced him to six-time All-Star Manny Machado, one of the best players in baseball.
Stewart views them both as older brothers. “I trust them with everything,” he says. “They’re more of my best friends and older brothers. They’ve been incredible in my life. I can’t explain what they’ve done for me.”
Stewart and Machado train together during the offseason, and Stewart mimics Machado’s workout regimen. Machado is one of the best defensive third basemen in MLB, and Stewart is working to get there.
A few years ago, it was a question whether or not Stewart could even play third base. Because of how well he’s trained and how much more athletic he’s become, that isn’t a question any more.
Stewart says it was easy to find the motivation he needed. “I want to take care of my family. I want to be that guy who tells my parents they don’t have to work another day. I want to be that guy who wins a championship here and everyone is watching us play in the World Series.”
Larkin works closely with Reds prospects during spring training, and he’s a big fan of what he’s seeing out of Stewart. “He has done a nice job taking care of his body,” Larkin says. “He has been very impressive. I don’t see him as a first baseman. He has put himself in a great position, and he deserves it. He understands what he needs to do. It’s impressive. He’s on top of it mentally. He’s worked really hard. I love him.”
Word is starting to get out about how much of an impact player Stewart can become. Teams were asking about him at the trade deadline last summer, but the Reds knew what they had.
Stewart should make it to the big leagues in the next year or two. By that point, the Reds’ young core at the big-league level will have a lot more experience and the group should be in contention mode. Stewart wants to be the young hitter who puts them over the top.
“Man, the Reds need a championship, and fast, too,” he says. “This is a storied organization with a lot of history. We need to bring it back where it’s supposed to be.”
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com. He’s @CharlieG__ on X.
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