Reds rookie Sal Stewart is thriving in the one area fans feared most

Sal Stewart has made a major impact on the Cincinnati Reds during the final month of the 2025 season. The 21-year-old brought some pop to the middle of the batting order, and though his playing time has been inconsistent, when he's in the lineup, Stewart has been a tough out for the opposition.

One area of concern upon Stewart's promotion, however, was his defense. Everyone knew his bat would play, but the Reds top prospect was wading into unfamiliar territory once he was called up to the big leagues.

Stewart, traditionally a third baseman, had to find a new path to the majors after Cincinnati traded for Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes back on July 30. The soon-to-be two-time Gold Glove Award-winner looks to be a fixture at the hot corner, meaning that if Stewart was going to have a meaningful impact on the club, he'd have to learn a new position.

Reds rookie Sal Stewart is thriving after being moved to first base

Stewart has since found a home at first base. Nine of his 12 starts this month have come at first, with the other three at third base. The rookie's committed just one error in 75 chances and has been worth 2 defensive runs saved (DRS) and 1 out above average (OAA) in just 76 innings. Spencer Steer, who many Reds fans view as a top-tier defender at first, has been worth 7 DRS and 7 OAA this season.

Making the switch from third to first — with only two minor-league starts at first base prior to his call-up — is quite impressive, and one has wonder how much better Stewart can be in 2026 after having an entire offseason (plus spring training) under his belt.

It's unlikely that Stewart's presence makes Steer expendable — especially given the positional versatility of both players — but it surely gives Terry Francona confidence that both players are able to play above-average defense at first base. This was never more evident than during Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs when Steer was pushed to left field and Stewart took over at first in a must-win game.

How the defensive alignment unfolds heading into next season is irrelevant at the moment, but seeing how quickly Stewart has taken to the new position has certainly calmed the fears of the Reds fanbase.

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