Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart made franchise history Thursday when he homered off a 102.3 mph four-seam fastball from Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The blast marked the fastest pitch a Reds player has hit for a home run in the Statcast era, which dates to 2008.
Stewart's 17th homer of the season helped Cincinnati earn a 7-2 victory at American Family Field. The 22-year-old recorded a 102.7 mph exit velocity, sending the ball an estimated 401 feet with a 27-degree launch angle.
The home run came against one of baseball's hardest throwers. Misiorowski entered the game with a 9-3 record, a 1.45 ERA, 146 strikeouts and a 0.77 WHIP while routinely reaching triple digits with his fastball.
Before Stewart's home run, opponents had gone just 4-for-46 against Misiorowski's pitches of at least 102 mph. Stewart turned one of the rare opportunities into one of the biggest swings of his young career.
Cincinnati selected Stewart with the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft before he made his major league debut in September 2025. The former Reds No. 1 prospect has become a key middle-of-the-order bat, hitting .257 with a .341 on-base percentage, a .813 OPS, 17 home runs, 59 RBIs and 11 stolen bases this season.
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers entered Thursday with a 53-32 record, leading the National League Central, while the Cincinnati Reds improved to 40-46. Chase Burns earned the win for Cincinnati and José Trevino also homered off Misiorowski.
Stewart's historic blast highlighted his ability to handle elite velocity against one of the game's premier power arms. It also reinforced why Cincinnati views the 22-year-old as an important part of its lineup moving forward.
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