Sal Stewart

Active

Cincinnati Reds · First Base

Age 226' 1" · 224 lbsBats Right

FBaseball Overview

Fresh off a full 2026 season as Cincinnati's primary first baseman, this 22-year-old brings intriguing upside backed by a track record of consistent minor league excellence across multiple levels. His 315 at-bats produced respectable power with 15 home runs and solid run production (57 RBI, 44 runs), while his 11 stolen bases suggest emerging speed tools that could develop further. The batting average sits at a modest .254, which represents his primary fantasy concern as he continues adjusting to major league pitching, though his youth and awards pedigree indicate room for improvement in all categories. Fantasy managers should view Stewart as a speculative play with meaningful power and speed potential if his hit tool progresses, though he carries bust risk if his strikeouts remain elevated and he fails to improve his average above the .255-.260 range.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2025	Cincinnati Reds	18	.255	5	8	11	0	.293	.545	.838
2026	Cincinnati Reds	89	.254	17	61	48	11	.339	.466	.805
Career	Totals	107	.254	22	69	59	11	.333	.477	.810

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2022	ACL Reds	8	.292	0	5	5	0	.393	.458	.851
2023	2 teams▼	117	.275	12	71	71	15	.396	.415	.811
2024	Dayton Dragons	80	.279	8	46	54	10	.391	.454	.845
2025	2 teams▼	118	.309	20	80	78	17	.383	.524	.907
Career	Totals	323	.289	40	202	208	42	.390	.466	.856

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg91 mph

Max EV111.4 mph

Launch Angle14.3°

Barrel %14.3%

K %21.4%

Hard Hit %43.1%

Whiff %28.0%

Chase %27.7%

xBA0.255

xSLG0.478

xwOBA0.356

GB%45.2%

LD%21.2%

FB%27.8%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

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Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2025

Cincinnati Reds

.255

.293

.545

.838

2026

Cincinnati Reds

.254

.339

.466

.805

Career

Totals

107

.254

.333

.477

.810

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2022

ACL Reds

.292

.393

.458

.851

2023

2 teams▼

117

.275

.396

.415

.811

2024

Dayton Dragons

.279

.391

.454

.845

2025

2 teams▼

118

.309

.383

.524

.907

Career

Totals

323

.289

202

208

.390

.466

.856