Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect.
On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between second and third base, but still beat the relay throw with a headfirst slide for a two-run triple.
Stewart, who is ranked No. 3 in the organization and No. 83 overall by MLB Pipeline, pounded his chest toward the visitor's dugout and yelled, "Let's go!"
"It means a lot to us and our organization," said Stewart, a third baseman who was the 32nd overall pick by the Reds in the 2022 Draft. "Every time I step between the lines, I’m trying to win. I’m also trying to show them that I’m ready for whatever circumstance comes.”
Stewart, who also hit a single in the fifth inning, was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. This was the second time that he’s been part of the Spring Breakout experience.
“It’s great to get out on the field with a bunch of good players," he said. "It’s awesome because the competition is great. What’s not to love?”
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
In 80 games for High-A Dayton last season, Stewart batted .279/.391/.454 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. His season was cut short in July because of a right wrist laceration.
Stewart, 21, participated in his first big league camp this year and impressed manager Terry Francona.
“He’s a very advanced hitter," Francona said last Monday, after Stewart was sent to Minor League camp. "I don’t know when it is but he’s going to be a good Major League hitter. I firmly believe that."
O'Donnell matches Stewart
During a five-run top of the third inning, center fielder Ethan O'Donnell pulled a 1-1 pitch toward the right-field corner and reached third base standing up with a two-run triple of his own.
“I was talking to Cam Collier between at-bats and made some adjustments and I stuck to the plan there," said O'Donnell, who is ranked No. 18 in the organization. "He reminded me to stay through the ball and I work best looking to the other way. I give credit to Cam on that one.”
Collier, who is the No. 90 overall prospect and No. 4 in the organization, was unable to play as he recovers from left thumb surgery.
The lefty-hitting O'Donnell, 22, spent all of 2024 at Dayton and batted .269 with a .774 OPS, 10 homers and 40 RBIs in 104 games while working through a shoulder issue.
“That community in Dayton is unbelievable," said O'Donnell, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia in the 2023 Draft. "The support they have, the staff they have, let alone our organizational staff and our players in the locker room. Every day going to work was the best and to get that experience in a tough league against some good competition was phenomenal. Dealing with the ups and downs of baseball, the injuries, starting off slow, learning the mental grind of professional baseball. As much as you think you’re ready from college baseball, it’s a different beast.”
Serwinowski working on third pitch
Left-handed starting pitcher Adam Serwinowski, the Reds' No. 12 prospect, threw two innings and allowed one run, one hit and two walks with one strikeout. That strikeout came with a runner on first base when he got José Anderson looking at a strike-three fastball.
“You have to control the run game. I held the pause long and get a guy after he calls a timeout, make him wait and then he gets uncomfortable in the box and then I freeze him with a fastball," said Serwinowski, a 15th-round pick in 2022.
In his first full pro season during 2024 with Single-A Daytona, Serwinowski led the Florida State League with 25 starts and was eighth with 106 strikeouts. He posted a 3.57 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 85 2/3 innings. Most of his starts were capped at four innings.
Serwinowski is in the process of developing his changeup.
“I’ve been working on that for about two weeks so far," he said. "It’s coming along quicker than you’d think. They’re letting me feel it out when I want to introduce it in games when I feel comfortable to throw. We found a grip that we think is good and [the pitch] will contribute to my pitching depth.”
Mey hits 102
The Reds dugout thoroughly enjoyed watching No. 20 prospect Luis Mey zip through a scoreless eighth inning in relief. Mey, who struck out two, reached 101 mph multiple times and topped at 102 mph with his final pitch for the strikeout.
"That was fun to watch," Triple-A Louisville manager Pat Kelly said. "For me, the impressive thing is he threw strikes. A lot of guys throw hard but are constantly behind. He was aggressive. He went after the guys"
Senior Reporter Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05.
A Good (K)night as Travs Walk-Off On Cards
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Bill Knight connected for the game-winning base hit in the bottom of the ninth driving home a pair and sending the Arkansas Travelers to a 2-1 win over the Springfield Cardinals on Tuesday night. Prior to the ninth inning, the Travs had put only one
Series Opener Against Springfield Washed Out
North Little Rock, AR—Tuesday night’s series opener between the Arkansas Travelers and Springfield Cardinals was postponed due to rain. It will be made up as part of the doubleheader on Thursday May 8 with two seven inning games beginning at 4:35 p.m. The series will now start on Wednesday with
Victor Labrada Awarded TL Player of the Week
Arkansas Travelers outfielder Victor Labrada was named Texas League Player of the Week for April 28-May 4 it was announced today by Minor League Baseball. Labrada led the lead in nearly every major offensive statistical category. Playing in six games he was 11-21 with five walks and six extra base
Labrada Stays Hot But Travs Fall
Box Score Tulsa, OK—The Tulsa Drillers finished off a series victory over the Arkansas Travelers with a 9-2 final score on Sunday afternoon. The Drillers took advantage of 12 walks given out by Travs pitching. Victor Labrada was a bright spot for the Travs going 2-3 with a double and
Tulsa Walks-Off On Travs
Box Score Tulsa, OK—A wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning brought home the winning run sending the Tulsa Drillers to a 4-3 win over the Arkansas Travelers on Saturday night. The Drillers have won four of the first five in the series, three in walk-off fashion. Victor
Travs Foiled In Tulsa
Box Score Tulsa, OK—For the second time in three days, the Arkansas Travelers lost on the final pitch of the game, falling to the Tulsa Drillers 5-4 on Friday night. The winning run scored with two out in the ninth when Hunter Fitz-Gerald made a sliding stop on a hard
Labrada Lifts Travs To Split In Twinbill
Box Score Tulsa, OK—The Arkansas Travelers and Tulsa Drillers split a doubleheader on Thursday with the Drillers winning game one, 6-5 and the Travs bouncing back to take the nightcap, 7-2. It was a frustrating night for the Travs offense going a combined 4-27 with runners in scoring position. Tulsa
Extra Inning Thriller Goes to Tulsa
Box Score Tulsa, OK—In a game full of wild back and forth swings, the Arkansas Travelers fell to the Tulsa Drillers, 12-10 in 10 innings on Wednesday in Tulsa. Both teams led by multiple runs on multiple occasions in the game. Jose Ramos lined a home run to right field
Series Opener In Tulsa Washed Out
Tulsa, OK—Tuesday night’s series opener between the Arkansas Travelers and Tulsa Drillers was postponed due to rain. It will be made up as part of the doubleheader on Thursday May 1 with two seven inning games beginning at 5:00 p.m. The series in Tulsa will now start on Wednesday with
Seminaris Honored as Texas League Pitcher of the Week
Arkansas Travelers pitcher Adam Seminaris was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for April 22-27 it was announced today by Minor League Baseball. Seminaris tossed six shutout innings last Friday against the Midland RockHounds, surrendering only three hits with eight strikeouts. This is the first Double-A league weekly award
Travs Take Split Against Midland
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Jared Sundstrom drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Arkansas Travelers defeated the Midland RockHounds 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to secure a split of the six game series. After a RockHound homer in the first, four Travs pitchers
Travs Post Big Inning But Fall
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—A six run fifth inning was not enough as the Arkansas Travelers fell 9-6 to the Midland RockHounds on Saturday night. Bill Knight paced the offense with two hits including a three-run home run. Midland built an eight run lead before the Travs got on
Seminaris Stellar But Midland Rallies Past Arkansas
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Adam Seminaris struck out eight in six shutout innings but the Arkansas Travelers fell 3-1 to the Midland RockHounds on Friday night. The RockHounds scored single runs in each of the final three innings to get the win. Seminaris threw eighty pitches but did not
Hill Shines But Win Streak Halted
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Arkansas starter Garrett Hill retired the first 15 Midland hitters of the game but the RockHounds pulled away late for a 7-1 win, ending the Travs’ winning streak at six. Colby Halter broke a tie with a seventh inning home run to give Midland the
Travs Rally To Win 6th Straight
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—The Arkansas Travelers rallied from a pair of deficits to top the Midland RockHounds, 7-4 on Wednesday night at CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park. It was the sixth straight win for the Travelers and their 12th in the past 13 games. The final
Shutout Stretches Win Streak to 5
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Four Arkansas Travelers pitchers combined to blank the Midland RockHounds, 2-0 in a series opening victory on Tuesday at CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park. Despite getting out hit, the Travs scored the game’s only two runs with single tallies in the first and
Travs Take Twinbill
Box Score Springfield, MO—The Arkansas Travelers swept a doubleheader from the Springfield Cardinals, 5-2 and 3-2 on Saturday. In game one, the Travs scored all five of their runs with two out in innings. Michael Hobbs got the win after getting the Travs out of a sticky situation in the
Hood Homer Hoists Arkansas Over Springfield
Box Score Springfield, MO—Josh Hood blasted a three-run go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Arkansas Travelers rallied for a 5-3 win over the Springfield Cardinals on Friday night. The Travs have now won seven of the past eight games. Hood’s homer was the second of the night
Travs File Win In Springfield
Box Score Springfield, MO—Dylan File spun six innings of one-run baseball and the Arkansas Travelers blasted three home runs in a 5-2 victory over the Springfield Cardinals on Thursday night. Jared Sundstrom, Julio Rodriguez and Brock Rodden all went deep for the first time this season. File matched the longest
Winning Streak Halted at Six
Box Score Springfield, MO—Three Springfield home runs in a span of four batters in the third inning carried the Cardinals to a 10-3 win over the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday night. The loss snapped a six game winning streak for the Travs. JJ Weatherholt hit the first of those Cardinals
Sixth Straight Win Starts Series in Springfield
Box Score Springfield, MO—Nick Raposo hit a three-run double to put the Arkansas Travelers in front in the seventh inning on the way to a 7-5 win over the Springfield Cardinals. It is the club’s sixth straight victory. The Travs were shutout for the first five innings, tied the score
Travs Blank Tulsa Behind Ramirez Homer
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Ben Ramirez homered and four Arkansas Travelers pitchers combined a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday afternoon at CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park. Adam Seminaris worked the first five innings to earn the win, striking out five.
Travs Top Tulsa For 4th Straight W
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—Stealing a season high eight bases, the Arkansas Travelers hung on for a 5-3 win over the Tulsa Drillers on Saturday night at CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Travs scored in every inning from the second through the fifth in building their
Arkansas Outlasts Tulsa in 12 Innings
Box Score North Little Rock, AR—The Arkansas Travelers walked off winners for the second night in a row defeating the Tulsa Drillers, 6-5 in 12 innings. A walk-off walk by pinch-hitter Caleb Cali ended the game. The Travs came back from down three early but saw a pair of late