The Cincinnati Reds are off to a scorching start this season, sitting atop the competitive NL Central with a 20-11 record. While many expected a rebuilding year after losing ace Hunter Greene to elbow surgery early on, the team has found its spark—and his name is Sal Stewart.

Stewart, the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, quickly climbed through the minors and made his MLB debut late last season. This year, he earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and has been nothing short of elite with the bat. He currently leads the Reds in both runs batted in and on-base percentage, earning him the No. 3 spot on Bleacher Report's latest rookie power rankings.

As analyst Tim Kelly noted, "Stewart homered five times in his first 18 MLB games last year, and he's picked up where he left off. He's currently leading MLB in RBI, with nine homers and a .987 OPS. Terry Francona's lineup badly needed a bopper, and Stewart has given them that."

The rookie's power surge has been a game-changer for a lineup already featuring stars like Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez (currently on the IL). Once Suárez and Greene return later this summer, the Reds could become a serious force in the postseason race.

With young arms like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder stepping up in Greene's absence, and a proven manager in Francona at the helm, Cincinnati has all the pieces for a deep October run. Don't sleep on these Reds—they're just getting started.