Sal Stewart’s latest honor puts a new spin on his Rookie of the Year case

Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart was named the Players Choice Awards NL Outstanding Rookie by the Major League Baseball Players Association. The recognition marks his second major rookie honor of the year, following his selection as NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. Stewart received endorsements from fellow players, including Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Álvarez.

Drew Koch writes for Blog Red Machine that the honor strengthens Stewart's case for the upcoming BBWAA NL Rookie of the Year award, set to be announced on November 9. Koch notes that while critics point to defensive metrics and a late-season offensive slump, Stewart remains an odds-on favorite ahead of Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt.