Photo: Redleg Nation Staff
The Cincinnati Reds are in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies on Monday night to open up a road series against the NL East foe. With the Reds down 3-2 in the top of the 7th inning Sal Stewart came to the plate to lead off the inning and he welcomed reliever Brad Keller with a solo home run that tied up the ballgame. That home run gave the rookie 11 of them on the season. It was also a record breaking home run.
No Reds rookie has ever hit more than 10 home runs before June. When Stewart began the day he was tied with Joey Votto for the record with 10, but he now holds the record all on his own and he’s got 13 days to try and add to it, too.
Back in 1956 Frank Robinson won the National League Rookie of the Year award. He hit 38 home runs that season as he began his Hall of Fame career with a huge first season. Robinson only had nine home runs when June began. Of course that season saw Cincinnati’s first game of the season come on April 17th, while this year began on March 26th. Robinson played in every game but one that season before June started, but that was just 37 games. Stewart and the Reds played their 48th game of the season on Monday night in Philadelphia. The Hall of Fame outfielder had 13 home runs through the Reds first 48 games in 1956.
Cincinnati has only had seven rookies hit 20 or more home runs in the long history of their franchise and it didn’t happen until 1953 for the first time when Jim Greengrass did so, hitting an even 20. Jonathan India, Jay Bruce, and Bernie Carbo all hit 21 in their rookie campaigns. Spencer Steer hit 23 home runs back in 2023, and then Joey Votto had 24 in 2008. And then there is Frank Robinson atop the list, with 14 more home runs than any other Reds rookie in franchise history.