This top prospect has Reds reconsidering their timeline after an eye-popping breakout

The Cincinnati Reds have been feast or famine this season. Although the Reds are just outside the top-10 in runs scored this season and have a positive run differential, Cincinnati remains stuck in neutral, hovering around .500. The Reds' lack of offense has been a big reason why. One of the Reds top prospects, Sal Stewart, has been among the best in the team's farm system, but an early-season call-up is not worth the gamble.

It's hard to ignore what Stewart's doing at Double-A Chattanooga. A former first-round pick and top-100 prospect, Stewart is hitting .331/.392/.479 with a 152 wRC+ and was just named the Southern League's Player of the Week. Based on how poorly Cincinnati's offense has been this season, they sure could use a bat like Stewart's in the lineup.

Reds prospect Sal Stewart looks more like a September call-up rather than a midseason savior

But at just 21 years old with fewer than 200 plate appearances at Double-A, Stewart isn't ready for The Show quite yet. Though he's impressed at every level along the way, there's no reason for the Reds to throw Stewart to the wolves this early in his career just because Cincinnati's front office did a poor job assembling a competitive roster this past offseason.

Stewart certainly has "star potential", and on a team starved for star talent, it can be tempting to hit the panic button and call up one of the club's top prospects. Stewart could fill that gaping hole at third base which is currently vacant thanks to Noelvi Marte's injury.

Rushing these young players to the big leagues, however, isn't typically the Reds' MO. Nevertheless, following the natural progression of a talent like Stewart, it's plausible to see Cincinnati make the move this September. Rosters expand during the final month of the season, and depending on whether or not the Reds are in playoff contention, Stewart could certainly be a viable option for a September call-up.

If he keeps hitting the way he has, Stewart may receive a bump to Triple-A sometime around the All-Star break. While most of his numbers have translated well from High-A to Double-A, Stewart is not drawing as many walks as he has in the past. This could be a sign that Stewart is taking a more aggressive approach at the plate this season — something Reds fans would love to see from the team's big league lineup.

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