On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Cincinnati Reds third baseman Sal Stewart lost the National League RBI lead to St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson. Burleson pushed his season total to 109 RBI, nudging past Stewart to claim the top spot not just in the NL but across all of Major League Baseball. The margin between them is razor-thin — roughly 1.8 percent separates the two players — and with the regular season winding down, every at-bat with runners on base carries extra weight for both clubs in what has become a genuine two-man race.

The Number: 109 RBI and a Slim Margin at the Top

Burleson's 109 RBI is the new MLB-wide benchmark as of September 13. The gap between him and Stewart is not large — we're talking about two or three RBI separating first place from second. That's the kind of margin that can evaporate in a single extra-inning game or balloon into an insurmountable lead over the course of a week. Right now, nothing is decided.

For context, 109 RBI at this stage of September is a legitimate run-production number. It puts Burleson in position to threaten 120 RBI by season's end if he maintains pace. Stewart, still within striking distance, has the same arithmetic working for him.

The Context: A Division Rival Takes What Cincinnati Had

It stings a little more when the player doing the passing is wearing a Cardinals uniform. St. Louis and Cincinnati are NL Central rivals, and Burleson's rise to the top of the RBI leaderboard means Stewart can no longer claim that individual statistical crown — at least not today. The Reds have watched Stewart develop into one of the most productive run-producers in the National League this season, and that work hasn't disappeared. But Burleson made a move, and the standings — both in the NL Central and on the stat sheet — shifted as a result.

Burleson is putting up a career-caliber run-production season for St. Louis, and his 109 RBI leading all of baseball underscores just how dominant he has been at the plate this year.

Why It Matters for the Reds

Sal Stewart losing the MLB RBI lead is not a catastrophe, but it is a storyline worth tracking closely at Great American Ball Park. Stewart's production has been one of the bright spots of Cincinnati's 2026 regular season. Losing an individual statistical lead to a division rival with weeks still remaining only sharpens the urgency.

  • The margin separating Burleson and Stewart is approximately 1.8 percent — small enough that a multi-RBI game by Stewart flips the MLB-wide lead right back.
  • September games tend to feature tighter pitching and roster management, which can suppress run-scoring opportunities for everyone on the leaderboard.
  • Both players' teams are still playing meaningful regular season baseball, meaning lineup construction and late-game decisions will directly influence who finishes on top.

What Comes Next

The NL RBI race is far from over. Stewart needs to do what he has done all season — get into run-scoring situations and deliver. The Reds have games remaining, and every time Stewart steps to the plate with runners aboard, this leaderboard can shift again.

Burleson, for his part, has earned the lead. But in a race this close, holding it through the final weeks of the regular season is a different challenge than claiming it. Keep an eye on the daily box scores — this one is going to move around before September is done.