Reds broadcast's defense of Sal Stewart included Ke'Bryan Hayes catching a stray

The chase for the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year Award is down to two players: Cincinnati Reds All-Star slugger Sal Stewart and slick-fielding St. Louis Cardinals second baseman, JJ Wetherholt. Both youngsters have performed exceedingly well during their first year in the big leagues.

The fierce rivalry between the Reds and Cardinals has only increased discourse among the respective fanbases. The Cincinnati faithful believe Stewart's league-leading 94 RBI and 27 home runs make him the runaway favorite, while Cardinals fans come continually come to Wetherholt's defense because of his elite defensive prowess and top-notch base running.

While the fanbases continue to bicker back and forth, Reds' broadcaster Jeff Brantley has his own perspective on the matter, and he shared his thoughts during Wednesday's game between Cincinnati and St. Louis. Hilariously, in the process of defending Stewart's candidacy for Rookie of the Year, Brantley inadvertently took a mild swipe at Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.

Ke'Bryan Hayes caught a stray from Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley

During the bottom of the fourth inning, Brantley and fellow radio broadcaster Tommy Thrall were discussing the controversy surrounding this year's Rookie of the Year race. Thrall suggested that Stewart should be the obvious favorite to win the award if he continues to produce at the plate.

"The only reason that Wetherholt is at the top of the list is because of a subjective look at defensive metrics," Brantley explained. "Everybody tries to talk about all this data. About the defensive alignment, and how people catch the ball, and all of that. If the ball's not hit right at you, it's a base hit. There are no errors given out anymore. It's crazy! That's not a good case."

"There is a chance Sal Stewart will have 30 home runs and 100 RBI, and you are going to tell me he is not the absolute blown-away front-runner because you got a guy that everybody says is fielding good? Come on, man! You got to be kidding me. Then they should make Ke'Bryan Hayes the MVP," Brantley continued while Thrall chuckled in the background.

Hayes is, of course, known for his defense, as evidenced by his two Gold Glove Awards. But his lack of success at the plate has been well documented and is a constant source of frustration among Reds fans. Wetherholt may not be an elite hitter, but he's not as bad as Hayes. Still, Brantley's joke was well played.

As always, Brantley is spot on. If you want to hand Wetherholt the Gold Glove at second base this season, be my guest. He's earned it. But if you're going to elevate a player who's hitting just .243 with a .722 OPS ahead of Stewart, who's hitting .259/.334/.476 with 27 home runs and 94 RBI, you better have more to say that he's a great defender.

Both Stewart and Wetherholt have about another month to make their case. Given Wetherholt's post-All-Star slump, the scales appear to be tipping in Stewart's favor.

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