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.
River Bandits Release 2025 Promotional Schedule
Davenport, Iowa — As baseball season returns to the Quad Cities, the River Bandits announced today a loaded 2025 promotional schedule, featuring new giveaways, 13 fireworks shows, a stacked bobblehead lineup, and free Ferris wheel and double-decker carousel rides. With affordable family-fun scheduled for all 66 home games, Modern Woodmen
Modern Woodmen Park Receives Third-Straight Nomination for Best Ballpark
Davenport, Iowa — For the third-consecutive time, Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park has been nominated for “Best Minor League Ballpark” in USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Selected by a panel of editors and industry experts, the home of the Quad Cities River Bandits earned its 2025 nomination after winning the
Julia McNeil Named River Bandits General Manager
Davenport, Iowa — The Quad Cities River Bandits, High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, announced today that General Manager Paul Kleinhans-Schulz is leaving the team to pursue new opportunities outside of baseball. The team immediately announced the promotion of Assistant General Manager Julia McNeil to general manager. The move
Top 5 Black Players in Quad Cities Baseball History
In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club. While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great
River Bandits Announce 2025 Coaching Staff
Davenport, Iowa — The Quad Cities River Bandits, in conjunction with the Kansas City Royals, today announced their 2025 coaching staff, led by manager Jesus Azuaje. The skipper is joined by pitching coach Derrick Lewis, hitting coach Ryan Powers, assistant pitching coach Clayton Mortensen, assistant hitting coach Kyle MacKinnon, strength
Caglianone to make pro debut with River Bandits
KANSAS CITY -- Jac Caglianone, the Royals’ first-round Draft pick, will make his professional debut on Tuesday for High-A Quad Cities. After he was selected No. 6 overall in last month’s MLB Draft, Caglianone officially signed with the Royals on July 24 and headed to Arizona the next day to
Mozzicato Selected as 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® Winner
Davenport, Iowa — Minor League Baseball™ and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company Inc., today announced the nine recipients of the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® for defensive excellence. Quad Cities River Bandits’ left-hander Frank Mozzicato earned his first-career Gold Glove after being selected as the top defensive pitcher among players in
Nivens Homers Twice, Lifts Bandits to Second-Half Division Title
Davenport, Iowa – Spencer Nivens struck for a pair of two-run homers Saturday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Beloit Sky Carp 5-3 and secured the Midwest League West’s second-half Division title at Modern Woodmen Park. Nivens’ first blast came on Quad Cities’ first swing of the game.
Mozzicato Shines in Quad Cities’ Loss to Beloit
Davenport, Iowa – Frank Mozzicato matched his season-high with eight strikeouts over 4.0-scoreless innings Friday, but the Quad Cities River dropped their second-straight game to the Beloit Sky Carp, falling 2-1 at Modern Woodmen Park. After rattling off 4.0-shutout frames in his previous start, Mozzicato struck out seven of the
Sky Carp Snap Bandits' Win Streak
Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits saw their seven-game win streak come to an end Thursday, as they fell to the Beloit Sky Carp 6-3 at Modern Woodmen Park. For the first time since August 28, the River Bandits did not score the first run of the ballgame,
Wisconsin Steals Game Two; Sweeps Quad Cities for West Division Title
Appleton, Wisconsin – The Quad Cities River Bandits took a two-run lead into the ninth inning Thursday, but the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored three in the ninth to walk-off the Bandits and secure a 2-0 sweep of the Midwest League West Division Championship Series. Wisconsin opened the scoring in the
Rattlers Hold on For Game One Win Over Bandits
Davenport, Iowa – The River Bandits held the Timber Rattlers to two hits Tuesday, but a Jadher Areinamo solo shot wound up the difference the difference in the ballgame, as Wisconsin shut out Quad Cities 1-0 to take Game One of the Midwest League West Division Championship Series at Modern
Quad Cities Concludes Regular Season with Fifth-Straight Series Win
Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits wrapped up the 2024 regular season with a 7-1 over the Beloit Sky Carp, securing the club’s fifth consecutive series win headed into postseason play next week. The River Bandits brought eight batters to the plate in Sunday’s first inning and jumped
Hall of Fame trio's road to greatness began in MiLB
The walls of Cooperstown are about to get a little more crowded. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday night that Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton would be inducted in to the baseball Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024. Players must have their names checked
Loftin leads Kansas City's next wave, All-Stars
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the Kansas City Royals. 2023 organization summary: Triple-A Omaha: 68-77
Quad Cities, Peoria compete in charity blood drive
Dave Heller is no stranger when it comes to giving back to the community. As the president of High-A Quad Cities, Heller has helped organize countless community fundraisers, ranging from paying the college tuition for four area students to donating anywhere between $85,000 to $100,000 annually to the local Genesis
Bandits Sloppy in Opening Day Loss
The Quad Cities River Bandits totaled three errors and five walks in the final three innings of Tuesday’s Opening Day matchup as they fell to the South Bend Cubs 7-4 at Four Winds Field. In his first outing at the High-A level, Bandits’ southpaw Angel Zerpa faced the minimum through
And now, our ballpark feature presentation
What makes a Minor League ballpark unique? The food? The fans? The view? The answer to that query is, of course, all of the above. But perhaps above all, what makes a Minor League park unique are its stand-alone features, those architectural quirks, creative constructions and down-the-line additions that simply
Past generations guide Astros' Kessinger
Somewhere around Grae Kessinger’s sophomore year of high school, in between games of a summer league doubleheader, the young shortstop sat down with his dad, Kevin Kessinger. Grae had made a great play in the field during the first game. It came up in their conversation. Then he walked away,
RIVER BANDITS INVITED TO BECOME A KANSAS CITY ROYALS AFFILIATE
Davenport, Iowa — U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Ia) who, together with U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Ia), worked tirelessly to help save professional affiliated baseball in the Quad Cities, and Major League Baseball announced today that the Quad Cities River Bandits and eleven other Midwest League teams will be moving up
Announcing... MWL Madness
LANSING, Mich. - The 16 ballclubs in the Class-A Midwest League today announced MWL Madness pitting the all-time greatest players from each franchise against one another in a celebration of the league’s history. “It is disappointing our Midwest League season will not start this week but certainly understandable,” said Midwest
Rallying for the River Bandits
Davenport, IA -- Recently, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) announced that with the affects of and regulations set because of COVID-19, the start of the 2020 baseball season will be postponed. A projected start date has not been set at this point of time. Even though games will not be at
A Letter To River Bandits Fans from owner Dave Heller
Davenport, IA -- Quad Cities River Bandits owner Dave Heller has written a candid letter to River Bandits fans addressing the state of the 2020 season amidst COVID-19. Please take some time to read what he had to say regarding the situation HERE The River Bandits ownership, front office, and
River Bandits Release 2020 Promotional Schedule
Davenport, IA -- The Quad Cities River Bandits today released a packed promotional schedule for the upcoming 2020 season. The schedule holds many fan-favorites, including X giveaways, Y jersey auctions, and some new family-friendly fun to keep Modern Woodmen Park the place-to-be all season long! The River Bandits open their
2020 Job Fair and National Anthem Tryouts