On Monday night, Reds fans not only got to celebrate Sal Stewart winning the National League Rookie of the Year award, but they also celebrated the fact that they'll likely now have three picks in the top 40 of the 2027 MLB Draft.

Thanks to Stewart, the Reds will receive an additional draft pick immediately after the first round of the 2027 MLB Draft.

According to MLB.com, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) allows teams to earn an additional draft pick when an eligible rookie earns a full year of major league service time and either wins Rookie of the Year or finishes in the top three of MVP or Cy Young voting before becoming eligible for arbitration.

Stewart met each of those requirements, and his Rookie of the Year win means the Reds will have another valuable selection in next year's draft. Not only does this give them another opportunity to add young talent to their farm system, but it also increases the team's draft bonus pool.

What makes this even more interesting is that the Reds originally drafted Stewart with the compensatory pick they received after Nick Castellanos declined Cincinnati's qualifying offer and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. A few years later, Stewart is now helping the Reds secure another draft pick of their own. It's funny how things come full circle.

You can read more about MLB's Prospect Promotion Increntive here.

Why This is Important

The Reds won just 75 games last offseason. There is no denying they need more talent on the big-league roster. What might be more concerning is that they don't have the talent in the minor leagues to call up to help.

Baseball America ranked Cincinnati's farm system as the 28th best in Major League Baseball.

Hector Rodriguez, the Reds' third-ranked prospect, finished the 2026 season in the big leagues. Looking at their other top prospects, Steele Hall, Justin Lebron, Alfredo Duno, and Aaron Watson, Duno is the only one who has reached Double-A. Even with Duno, it would be a surprise to see him make his big-league debut in 2027. The point is, the Reds don't have much talent in their farm system that is close to being ready to contribute at the major league level.

They need more top prospects in their system and having three draft picks in the top 40 should help with that as long as they can draft and develop the right kind of players.