Jonathan India already showed the Reds exactly what they must do with Sal Stewart

Jonathan India's decline since leaving the Cincinnati Reds has been something that's been hard to watch. The man loved being a Red, and Cincy loved him back. India burst onto the scene with a .269/.376/.459 with 21 homers as a rookie in 2021. Last season, with the Kansas City Royals, he hit just .233/.323/.346 with nine homers. This year, his season was over by the end of April due to a shoulder injury.

What does India, a player who left town before Sal Stewart arrived in the bigs, have to do with the Reds' budding young star? You might think that this is a cautionary tale. India was the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, and Stewart is making a strong case for himself to win the 2026 version of the award thus far.

India was always a solid player for the Reds, but never became the superstar fans hoped for. Stewart may or may not realize the full extent of his potential. It almost doesn't matter, though; he should be extended as soon as possible anyway.

The Reds need a face of the franchise, and Sal Stewart could be it if they commit to him long-term

The trend of extending pre-arb players has taken the league by storm. For a while, it felt like the Reds were lagging behind until they extended Chase Burns. These are always risks. A rookie can take the league by storm and then fail to adjust once the opposition catches up. But when they work out, the payoff is huge.

Stewart looks like a force to be reckoned with for a long time, and that is the primary reason to extend him. With that said, a strong secondary reason to lock up the 22-year-old is the fact that he could become the next face of the franchise and an ambassador to the Queen City.

Stewart recently visited the Cincinnati Bengals and made an impression with his sense of humor. He's seemingly always willing to talk and is often insightful while also showing off his affable nature.

The way he behaves is similar to what Joey Votto did during his playing career, though Votto's humor was a bit on the dry side while Stewart seems to approach everything with a sense of awe that makes it obvious that he's living out his childhood dream.

Having a player like that means something to a fanbase. It might not count the same way home runs and on-base percentage do, but it helps connect the team to the community while also providing the young fans with a proper role model. If a player with this type of personality and commitment to the city becomes a superstar, as Votto did, then you have something that has immense tangible and intangible value to the city and the franchise.

That's the kind of player we're watching Sal Stewart blossom into. And that sort of player is the kind of guy that the Reds need to find room in their budget to keep around for the long haul.

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