Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds surpassed St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson for the National League RBI lead on Wednesday, August 19, pushing his 2026 total to 94. A 2.1 percent margin separates Stewart from Burleson, which in practical terms translates to approximately two RBI — meaning Burleson sits at roughly 92 RBI on the season. The lead change is a direct hit to Cardinals fans who had been tracking Burleson at or near the top of the NL leaderboard all summer. That slim gap as the regular season heads toward its final weeks is the difference between wearing the crown and chasing it.

Alec Burleson Falls to Second in NL RBI Race

Burleson had been the name Cardinals fans were pointing to when talking about individual hardware in 2026. Sitting at approximately 92 RBI through August 19 is a legitimate run-producing season by any measure — a pace that projects well above 100 RBI over a full year. Holding the NL RBI lead keeps a player in the middle of award conversations and puts a franchise in the spotlight. Now that distinction belongs to Stewart, and the Cardinals have to watch a division rival's player wear the crown.

The margin is thin. At 94 RBI, Stewart sits just 2.1 percent ahead of Burleson — approximately two RBI separating them. That is a single swing of the bat, a single bases-loaded situation, a single pitch caught in the right count. Burleson is more than capable of reclaiming the top spot, and Cardinals fans have every reason to believe this race is far from settled. In a category this tight this deep into August, every game on the 2026 NL RBI leaderboard matters.

Who Is Sal Stewart?

Stewart (MLB ID 701398) is a 2026 breakout story for the Cincinnati Reds. Reaching 94 RBI before August 20 puts him on a pace that any cleanup hitter in baseball would be proud of — by rough projection, that pace points toward 115-plus RBI over a full 162-game slate. His rookie eligibility status is unconfirmed, but what is not in dispute is what the number says: 94 RBI through roughly five months of the regular season is elite production, regardless of service time. The Reds have a genuine run-producer on their hands, and the 2026 NL RBI leaderboard now has a new name at the top. For a Cincinnati club looking to stay relevant in the NL Central conversation, Stewart's emergence as a statistical force has been one of the more compelling individual storylines of the regular season.

What This Means for the Cardinals

From a St. Louis perspective, this storyline cuts two ways. First, losing the RBI lead stings — ceding the top spot on the 2026 NL RBI leaderboard to a division rival adds an extra edge to the disappointment, especially when the margin is as razor-thin as two RBI. Second, it clarifies the stakes heading into the final weeks of the regular season. Burleson does not need to chase Stewart; he needs to keep producing the way he has been throughout 2026. At approximately 92 RBI, Burleson is already having a genuinely productive offensive season, and there are still weeks of regular season baseball left to play.

The Cardinals should not panic over this development. A two-RBI gap can evaporate in a single game, let alone across a stretch run. The Reds vs. Cardinals rivalry adds an extra dimension to this particular statistical race — every time these clubs share a box score from here out, the RBI column will carry added weight. The race will almost certainly tighten further before the 2026 regular season concludes.

The RBI Race the Rest of the Way

  • Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds — 94 RBI (NL leader, as of August 20, 2026)
  • Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals — approximately 92 RBI (runner-up, trailing by approximately 2.1 percent)
  • The gap represents roughly two RBI — the thinnest of margins heading into the final weeks of the 2026 regular season
  • Stewart's 94 RBI before August 20 projects to a 115-plus RBI pace over a full season
  • Burleson's approximately 92 RBI pace is similarly elite, projecting above 110 RBI for the year

Keep an eye on this number every single day from here out. The NL RBI title is one of the marquee individual stats in the game, and right now it belongs to a Reds standout. Burleson has the opportunity and the ability to take it back. The next several weeks just got a lot more interesting.