“He uses the whole field,” manager Terry Francona said. “A lot of times, you see guys come up and strike out a ton. He doesn’t. He makes contact, but he hits the ball with authority. That’s why when you play Toronto and the Dodgers, they’re so tough. It’s not only that they don’t strike out a ton, but that they don’t just hit singles. Sal is in that category.”
Stewart made his big league debut last September. The Reds showed how highly they thought him as they called him up and played him at first base, a position where he barely had any experience. Stewart wasn’t an every day player last September, but the experience helped show him what to expect in the big leagues.
He has shown power, contact ability, strike zone judgment, baseball IQ and athleticism with his at-bats early in the season.
“It feels really good,” Stewart said of the award. “It’s something I thought about when I was 9 years old. It’s a great award. That’s in the past now. We’re playing the Pirates. I want to go out there, play hard for my team and help the team win.”
Cleveland Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter was named the AL Player of the Week.
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