Cincinnati Reds Share Exciting Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart Award News

The Cincinnati Reds have two players in the running for one of baseball's top offensive awards. Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart were both named finalists for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award, giving Cincinnati two representatives among the National League's 10 finalists.

The Reds announced the news on social media, encouraging fans to vote for both players. "Congratulations to Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart on being named a 2026 Hank Aaron Award Finalist!" the team wrote.

De La Cruz put together a career year at the plate. The 24-year-old shortstop finished with a .283 average, .365 on-base percentage, .880 OPS, 30 home runs, 79 RBIs and 30 stolen bases across 143 games.

His 30-30 season made him the fourth player in Reds history to reach both marks in the same year, joining Brandon Phillips, Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. He also missed 19 games in June with a right hamstring strain, which makes the final line even more impressive.

De La Cruz finished the year on a tear earning NL Player of the Month honors for September after one of the best individual months by any hitter in baseball.

Stewart proved his cup of coffee in 2025 was not a fluke this year. The 22-year-old first baseman played all 162 games and hit .263 with a .330 on-base percentage, .787 OPS, 32 home runs and 111 RBIs. He is in contention for NL Rookie of the Year, and was the frontrunner for a majority of the regular season.

He also became just the 14th rookie since 1920 to record at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a single season, an incredibly rare accomplishment.

Cincinnati finished 75-87 and fifth in the NL Central, 28 games behind the division-winning Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds did not have enough around De La Cruz and Stewart to turn individual excellence into playoff baseball.

Without both players, Cincinnati likely would have lost over 100 games. There was simply too many holes around them in the lineup and the pitching staff. It will be a busy offseason for the organization.

Still, having two Hank Aaron Award finalists in the same season gives the club a strong foundation to build around.

De La Cruz will enter his fifth season in 2027, and Stewart is just getting started. The Reds know what these two are capable of. The challenge this offseason is rebuilding a roster around them.