Sal Stewart just joined Albert Pujols in some rare MLB company

Whether or not Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart earns the NL Rookie of the Year Award this season, his rookie campaign will go down as one of the best offensive debuts of all time.

After he recorded his 30th home run and 100th RBI this past week, Stewart entered into an elite group of rookies that features Hall of Famers and generational icons. Even more impressive, at just 22 years old, he is one of just five players to record a 30-100 rookie season at such a young age.

It’s been a quarter of a century since the last rookie age 22 or younger accomplished this feat. In 2001, a 21-year-old Albert Pujols mashed the first 37 of his 703 career home runs. (Ironically, he didn’t even crack the home-run leaderboard, finishing tied for 18th.)

Pujols took home the NL Rookie of the Year Award and placed fourth in MVP voting. While Stewart likely won’t garner much attention in the MVP race, a positive comparison to Pujols should at least turn the heads of some Rookie of the Year voters.

Sal Stewart’s offensive dominance at such a young age puts the Reds rookie in elite company

Prior to Pujols, José Canseco was the last youngster to log a 30-100 season before turning 23 years old. Coming off a strong September audition in 1985, the 21-year-old Canseco blasted 33 home runs and drove in 117 on his way to winning the 1986 Rookie of the Year Award. It had been nearly 50 years since a rookie under the age of 23 had produced such a season.

Two players attained the feat in the 1930s: Ted Williams (1939) and Hal Trosky (1934). The Rookie of the Year Award had not yet been established, but Williams’ MLB-best 145 RBI landed the 20-year-old in fourth place for the MVP Award.

Trosky, who like Canseco had a few games under his belt when he became a full-time player in 1934, finished seventh in MVP voting with a 35-homer, 142-RBI season. Trosky’s career was cut short due to migraine headaches.

That’s the full list. Between them, the quartet has 36 All-Star appearances (Trosky never made the cut, mostly due to competition from other first basemen such as Lou Gehrig), six MVP Awards, and a host of other accolades. By joining this company, Stewart seems set on a path to greatness.

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