Miami-raised Sal Stewart, a Cuban-American first baseman, wins National League Rookie of the Year

November 11, 2026

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart was named National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), announced Monday, November 9, 2026, on MLB Network. He received 20 of 30 first-place votes and 170 points, ahead of Mets outfielder Carson Benge (107) and Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (99), according to MLB.com and the BBWAA.

Stewart, 22, is Cuban-American and grew up in Miami. In an April interview with The Cuban Baseball Digest he spoke about his Cuban roots and said he hopes to see where his father is from someday. After winning the award he said on MLB Network, "I'm a kid from Miami. I worked hard for this moment," as reported by USA Today.

In his first full big league season he played all 162 games and hit .263 with a .787 OPS, 32 home runs and 112 RBIs. He led National League rookies in home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases, and became the first Cincinnati rookie with 30 homers and 100 RBIs in a season. Prensa Latina noted he is the first NL rookie with at least 30 home runs since Pete Alonso in 2019.