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.
Nate Shaver to Manage the Tourists in '25
ASHEVILLE— The Houston Astros have named the Asheville Tourists Coaching Staff for the 2025 season and Nate Shaver will serve as the Tourists Manager for the fifth consecutive year. The Tourists are set to span a half decade of stability and player development under Shaver’s leadership.
John Garcia Named South Atlantic League All-Star
ASHEVILLE- Minor League Baseball has announced its 2024 High Class-A League Award winners and All-Stars. The Asheville Tourists had one representative chosen, John Garcia, who received more votes than any other catcher in the South Atlantic League.
Season Recap: 2024 Asheville Tourists
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists have officially wrapped up the 2024 regular season. Before we move forward into preparations for next year’s Tourists Home Opener, April 8th, 2025, we first glance back at the 2024 campaign. It was a season that brought with it a record-setting 14 home sellout crowds, a
Hudson Valley Spoils Urias' Gem, Clinches Playoffs
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY – The Asheville Tourists had their sights set on a victory with a two-run lead and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The win slipped through their fingers and even though Asheville came up short, the fight from this group continues to show up night
Asheville Tourists Release 2025 Schedule
ASHEVILLE- The schedule for the Asheville Tourists 2025 season is official. The Tourists Home Opener set for April 8, 2025 versus the Greenville Drive. Asheville will also play at home on July 4, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day Weekend, and Labor Day Weekend. Opening Day is officially April 4 with the
Tourists Held without a Run, Lose Sixth Straight Road Game
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists were shut out by the Hudson Valley Renegades 3-0 on Wednesday night and suffered their sixth straight loss away from home. Nic Swanson built on his August Player of the Month Award with five brilliant innings pitched.
Renegades Walk Tourists Off in First Ever Matchup
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY- Tuesday was a night full of firsts. Despite the South Atlantic League’s new makeup of teams beginning in 2021, last night was the first ever game played between the Asheville Tourists and the Hudson Valley Renegades.
Swanson, Gomez Take Home Astros' August Honors
ASHEVILLE- The Houston Astros announced their August Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August and Asheville’s Kenni Gomez and Nic Swanson were the two recipients. Both Gomez and Swanson were among the best in the South Atlantic League as well as within the Astros Minor League ranks.
Blues Receive Grand Slam from Encarnacion in 10-4 Loss
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Blues’ Luis Encarnacion hit a Grand Slam on Saturday night but it was not enough against the Hickory Crawdads. Hickory built a 9-0 lead and the Tourists eventually fell by a final score of 10-4.
Encarnacion Walks Tourists Off in the 11th
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists knocked off the Hickory Crawdads 4-3 in 11 innings on Friday night in front of another sold out crowd at McCormick Field. Luis Encarnacion belted a deep RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning that plated Fernando Caldera from third base. An elated
Swanson and Pena Silence Crawdads in 6-1 Win
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists rode their pitching duo of Nic Swanson and Alain Pena to a 6-1 victory over the Hickory Crawdads Thursday night. Swanson dealt five innings and Pena followed with four scoreless frames. The two right-handers held Hickory to a total of one run and four hits.
Crawdads Top Tourists 11-9 Despite Guillemette's Four Hits
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists celebrated Travel & Hospitality Night at McCormic Field in their Wednesday evening contest against the Hickory Crawdads. Asheville fell behind early but roared back late. The comeback attempt came up a couple runs short and Hickory prevailed with an 11-9 win.
City of Asheville and Asheville Tourists Officially Break Ground at McCormick Field
McCormick Field has served as a baseball mainstay for 100 years and will begin its newest chapter of entertainment due to overwhelming support from the City of Asheville, Asheville Tourists, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, and many community partners and leaders.
Batista's Strong Start Not Enough to Snap Skid
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists fell to the Hickory Crawdads 7-0 in Tuesday night’s series opener at McCormick Field. Asheville’s starting pitcher, Edinson Batista, delivered a quality start and Franny Cobos struck out five batters down the stretch.
Tourists Drop Fourth Straight, Fall 5-4 to Greensboro
GREENSBORO- A two-week road trip came to an end on Sunday afternoon and for the Asheville Tourists it was not the finish they were hoping for. Asheville led the Greensboro Grasshoppers 4-2 going into the eighth inning; however, Greensboro plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth and bested
Swanson Ties Season-High with Nine Strikeouts
GREENSBORO- The Greensboro Grasshoppers have nightmares about Asheville’s right-handed pitcher Nic Swanson. The Bixby, Oklahoma native has dismantled Greensboro’s offense on multiple occasions during his Asheville Tourists career. Friday night was more of the same. Unfortunately, the Tourists offense was non-existent and Asheville suffered a 4-0 loss.
Late Miscues Cost Tourists a Third Straight Win
GREENSBORO- The Asheville Tourists built a 4-1 lead on the Greensboro Grasshoppers across Thursday night’s first seven innings. However, in the bottom of the eighth inning Greensboro worked four walks and took advantage of a dropped a fly ball. The Grasshoppers tallied four runs in the frame and won 5-4.
Fast Start Pulls Tourists Through to Victory
GREENSBORO- The Asheville Tourists jumped out to a fast start against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Wednesday night. Asheville plated five runs in the first two innings and held on to win 5-3. The Tourists outhit the Grasshoppers 11 to 4 and for the second straight game held Greensboro to one
Six-Run Inning Lifts Tourists to Much Needed Win
GREENSBORO- The Asheville Tourists snapped a three-game skid with an impressive 6-1 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday night. The Tourists pitching trio of Derek True, Franny Cobos, and Railin Perez held Greensboro to only one run on four hits.
Emperors Eke Out Double-Header Sweep
ROME- Luis Encarnacion, Walker Janek, and Garret Guillemette all parked Home Runs on Sunday in one of the most difficult hitter’s ballparks in the South Atlantic League; AdventHealt Stadium in Rome, Georgia. Encarnacion even hit two of them. Despite the hard-fought effort, the Rome Emperors received just enough timely breaks
Cruz Homers and Doubles in 5-4 Win at Rome
ROME- The Asheville Tourists and the Rome Emperors battled throughout a close game Thursday night. With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the eighth, Garret Guillemette delivered an RBI single to put the Tourists in front 5-4. That lead held up over the final frames and Asheville claimed
Tourists Suffer Crushing Loss to Emperors in Extra Innings
ROME- The Asheville Tourists’ extra-inning struggles continued Wednesday night with their fifth consecutive post nine-inning loss. Asheville has not scored their automatic runner from second base in a single inning in any of those five games — eight total innings. The Rome Emperors took advantage and scored their automatic runner
Gomez Singles, Scores in His Tourists Debut
ROME- The Asheville Tourists began their 12-game road trip Tuesday night with a contest against the Rome Emperors. The Tourists jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Rome’s offense had just enough firepower to take the lead and hold on for
Tourists Celebrate Sunday Walk-Off Win over Hot Rods
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists trailed the Bowling Green Hot Rods 6-3 with only four outs left on Sunday. Asheville recorded back-to-back hits in the eighth that netted a run, then came through with three runs in the ninth for a wild 7-6 walk-off win in front of the home crowd.
Langford Strong in his First Tourists Start
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists dropped a tough contest to the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday night by a final of 4-1. Asheville held Bowling Green’s offense to only two hits in the game; however, the Hot Rods plated a couple unearned runs and held the Tourists bats in check.