Sal Stewart is clearly ready to find success at the MLB level.
Cincinnati Reds top prospect Sal Stewart entered the 2026 MLB season with lofty expectations after making his big league debut in 2025. Throughout the years, there have been many top prospects who have failed to meet their expectations. Stewart is already proving that he has what it takes to be a future superstar, however.
Yes, the bat plays in MLB. He is hitting .474 through six games played. The rookie can hit for average and power, and he has great contact skills at the plate.
Stewart is only 22 years old. Many 22-year-olds do not have good plate discipline. Even the best young players sometimes struggle to consistently recognize the strike zone and lay off breaking balls out of the zone.
Stewart does not have that problem. He features tremendous plate discipline. Through his six contests this year, the infielder has a stellar .615 OBP (on-base percentage) and a league leading seven walks.
Of course, any player can have a good OBP stretch for six games. This is not the first time Stewart has displayed his discipline at the plate, though.
Sal Stewart's Secret for Success is Plate Discipline
Stewart's OBP and walk skills are clearly translating to the big league level. The Reds love Stewart's hitting skills, but they also know how talented he is from a plate discipline standpoint.
Stewart made his minor league debut in 2025. Overall, he appeared in 323 minor league games from 2022-2025. He slashed .289/.390/.466 during that span. Stewart's .390 OBP stands out without question.
He consistently found ways to reach base. In fact, he never recorded an OBP lower than .383 during his time in the minor leagues. In his 117 games played in 2023, Stewart walked 84 times. It became clear that he had a great eye at the plate only a couple of years into his professional baseball career.
It is more than walks for Stewart, though. Some players who have good eyes at the dish sometimes become too patient, meaning they don't swing at good pitches to hit. Stewart consistently hits the baseball hard and is not afraid to swing the bat by any means.
His .289 batting average in the minor leagues was impressive as well. In 2025, he had 135 hits in just 118 games played en route to a .309 batting average.
Sal Stewart unquestionably has what it takes to become a superstar at the MLB level.