Reds troll the WAR crowd as Sal Stewart wins NL Rookie of the Month (again)

Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart has been named National League Rookie of the Month following his performance in August. Stewart hit .304/.349/.530 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, and a 135 wRC+.

This was the second time this season Stewart took home NL Rookie of the Month honors. He also receive recognition for his play during the first month of season when he opened up the 2026 campaign with a .281/.373/.570 slash line, nine home runs, 29 RBI, seven stolen bases, and a 152 wRC+.

Both Stewart and Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield have received the award twice this season, and sandwiched in between was another NL Central standout. No, not JJ Wetherholt. Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was honored for his efforts during the month of July.

It appears that most MLB writers and pundits are coming around to the sentiment that Reds fans have known since the season began — Sal Stewart is the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year.

For months on end, countless talking heads tried to convince fans that Wetherholt, the St. Louis Cardinals second baseman, was the superior player. Their argument was oftentimes based around one statistic. Wins Above Replacement, known in most circles as WAR.

Reds social media team trolls WAR defenders after Sal Stewart's latest honor

And while it's true that Wetherholt's WAR is nearly double that of Stewart's — depending on which source you use — to anyone with a pair of eyes and a knowledge of the game, it was evident that the Reds rookie has been the better player.

The Reds social media team decided to have a little fun at the expense of those WAR-riors who put so much emphasis behind the one stat. As you can see below, the Reds shared a graphic on X (formerly Twitter) with Stewart's stat line for the month of August. The fine print, however, revealed Stewart's rWAR (Reds WAR) for the month was 51.3, which is obviously a reference to Cincinnati's area code.

This is a playful (and hilarious) jab at the folks who hang their proverbial hat on WAR as the end-all, be-all statistic. Does the stat itself have value? Of course. But it can't just be arbitrarily tossed about as the only means to measure every aspect of a player's performance. And it certainly shouldn't be used as the determining factor for this year's NL Rookie of the Year Award.

With Wetherholt currently on the IL while nursing a wrist injury, the prevailing winds have shifted Stewart's direction. With 31 home runs and 105 RBI on the season, and 22 games to go, Stewart is the odds-on favorite to take home the trophy this offseason.

WAR, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again.

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