Stewart and Burns have been cornerstone pieces for the Reds this season.
Infielder Sal Stewart and starting pitcher Chase Burns have been selected to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. The duo found out the news before Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Stewart is the first Reds rookie to make an All-Star game since relief pitcher Scott Williamson did so in 1999. The Miami native has hit 17 home runs, which leads Cincinnati, while batting .254 with an .806 OPS. Stewart started the season on an absolute tear, winning NL Rookie of the Month honors for March and April. He has handled the ups and downs of his first full major league season well, showing consistent contact and power as he emerges as one of the best hitters on the Reds’ roster.
Stewart recently had a highlight moment against the Milwaukee Brewers when he turned around a 102.3 mph fastball for a long home run, the first home run hit off a fastball thrown that hard by a starting pitcher in the Statcast era. Stewart has also played both first and third base, showing his versatility in a season when the Reds have had to get creative with their lineups due to injuries and disappointing offensive seasons by some players.
Stewart has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension with the Reds, but Cincinnati has yet to make progress toward locking Stewart up long term as collective bargaining agreement talks have made little progress, and MLB is staring down the barrel of a lockout in 2027.
Burns is having a stellar second season in the majors, posting a 2.40 ERA and a 116-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Burns has the fifth-best ERA in the league and the seventh-most strikeouts. According to Baseball Savant, Burns has leaned heavily on his fastball and slider, as the two pitches account for 94% of his pitch usage this season.
At 10-1, Burns has made six starts in which he did not allow an earned run and has posted eight quality starts. Burns’ performance has been a major boost for the Reds in a season in which they did not have ace Hunter Greene until July 4 after he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow.
The Reds were able to salvage a game in their latest series against the Baltimore Orioles but sit at 41-48 and in last place in the NL Central, 14 games behind first place and four games behind the fourth-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
