Sal We Dance?
Sal Stewart (CIN): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Like many top prospects debuting for a competitive team, the hype for Sal Stewart in Cincinnati was indeed high and merited.
In 494 plate appearances between the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and Triple-A Louisville Bats, MLB Pipeline’s 31st-ranked prospect overall slashed .309/.383/.524 with a .907 OPS. He also hit 20 home runs, collected 80 RBI, and stole 17 bases on 20 attempts. With Cincinnati still clawing for a postseason berth (they are five games behind the last NL Wild Card spot now after a 3-7 stretch), Reds fans are hoping that the 21-year-old can provide a much-needed jolt in the lineup in September.
Going into Saturday’s game against the Mets, the results were meager in three games. In nine previous plate appearances, he was hitting .222 with a .444 OPS and three strikeouts.
Thankfully, Stewart finally got things going on Saturday in the Reds’ 6-3 win at Great American Ballpark.
He only collected one hit against the Mets, but it was a big one: a two-run home run in the second inning off New York’s own rookie sensation Jonah Tong. That gave Cincinnati an early 2-0 lead and set the tone for the rest of the game in the Reds’ three-run win.
At the very least, Stewart is hitting the ball hard at the MLB level so far in this small sample. His average exit velocity is 91.6 MPH, so the power potential is there for the 21-year-old third baseman, especially at a hitter-friendly home stadium like the GAB. The main issue for now will be playing time, as Ke’Bryan Hayes seems like the preferred third baseman in Cincinnati for now.
That said, more home runs from Stewart could change things at the hot corner quickly, especially if it results in more wins for the Reds this month.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.
The Mariners successfully held off the Wild Card field on Saturday night in a 10-2 victory over Atlanta. Rodriguez hit his 29th and 30th home runs of the season and also improved his RBI total to 86 for the season. Rodriguez is hitting .293 with a .921 OPS after the All-Star Break and actually has more home runs in the second half of the year (16) than in the first half (14).
Colby Thomas (ATH): 1-2, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
The A’s right fielder helped drive Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi out of the game early with a three-run bomb in the second inning. Like many A’s hitters, Thomas has some intriguing power, with five home runs and a .463 slugging in 92 plate appearances. However, he also has a strikeout rate of 34.8%. At the very least, the 24-year-old outfielder from Mercer could have a platoon role for the Athletics in the future.
Christian Walker (HOU): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Astros took the Battle of Texas on Saturday night, blanking the Rangers 11-0 in Arlington. Walker joined in on the fireworks with two hits, two RBI, and a home run, his 22nd of the year. The former Diamondback has been better in the second half, hitting .244 with a .798 OPS and 10 home runs in 193 plate appearances. However, it’s been a disappointing year overall for Walker in his first season in Houston (.234 average; .706 OPS).
Gleyber Torres (DET): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
You know who hasn’t been a disappointment in his first year with a new club? Torres, who is hitting .261 with a .762 OPS in 548 plate appearances. In Saturday’s 6-0 win over the White Sox, Torres hit his 15th home run of the season, which matches his home run total from 2024 in 117 fewer plate appearances.
Jordan Beck (COL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The Rockies lost their 102nd game of the season on Saturday in a 10-8 defeat. Yikes. A silver lining? Beck hit his 15th home run of the season and is hitting .271 with a .774 OPS this season. The 24-year-old Rockies outfielder has had a much better sophomore season and is showing that he can be part of a future outfield in Colorado, along with fellow outfielders Mickey Moniak and Brenton Doyle.
Salvador Perez (KCR): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The Royals did something on Saturday that they haven’t done much of in the past couple of seasons: hit Joe Ryan. On Saturday, the Royals tagged the Twins ace for five runs on four hits and four walks in two innings of work. Perez did the most damage, launching a three-run home run in the bottom of the first that set the tone for this Kansas City nine-run victory. His homer tonight was his 25th of the season, giving him back-to-back seasons of 25 or more home runs.
Fernando Tatis (SDP): 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Tatis launched his 20th home run of the season, giving him four straight seasons of 20 or more home runs with the Padres. His OPS is .802, 30 points down from his mark a year ago, and his average is also 13 points lower. That said, Tatis also has 27 home runs and 95 runs scored, making him one of the more productive leadoff men in the league.
Jake Bauers (MIL): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Bauers is pretty much a portrait of “productive” mediocrity. Since debuting with the Rays in 2018, he has only had one season with an OPS of .700 or higher. That was his rookie year in Tampa Bay, and he had an OPS of exactly .700. This year, his OPS is .685 in 173 plate appearances with the Brewers. However, he has a penchant for big hits, which keeps him employed. On Saturday, it was a two-run home run in a 4-1 Milwaukee victory in Pittsburgh.
Josh Lowe (TBR): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
The Rays lost, but Lowe had a big day, hitting his 10th home run of the year in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 loss. Lowe’s an interesting dilemma for the Rays this offseason. He has the same number of home runs (10) as he did a year ago in 15 fewer plate appearances. His .715 OPS is also 22 points higher than 2024. And yet, Lowe’s overall line (.244/.310/.405) feels mediocre. He will be entering his first year of arbitration eligibility this offseason and could be a trade or non-tender candidate.
