Stewart made his debut in 2003 with the Pioneer League Casper Rockies in Wyoming. He lived up to his rep, delivering .317/.558 (AVG/SLG) with 10 home runs, 43 RBI and only 54 Ks in 224 at-bats.

He made a tourist stop in Asheville of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2004. Again another .319/.594 season with the Tourists. He knocked in 30 home runs and 101 RBIs on 505 at-bats, but his strikeout numbers jumped from 54 in the prior season to 112 in the SAL.  A bit high, but not uncommon for a player working out the kinks on the road to the majors.

Stewart moved to the High-A Modesto Nuts of the California League.  He's batting .273/.485 with a very un-slouchy 14 dingers and 70 RBI.  His numbers suggest that he's having a bit more trouble with pitching in the usually batter-friendly world of the California League.

Like former teammate Milledge, Stewart is considered a VIP player who needs careful nurturing. The scouts and touts rave about him, from his exceptional work ethic to his very strong skills.  All that being said, though, his pace of progress says big league 2007, not 2006, at the earliest. If he doesn't work past the AA next season, he may not be Denver-bound until 2008.

Stewart is not afraid of the work needed to make him one of the great third baseman in the modern game. Now he just needs the time and seasoning so he doesn't implode once he hits the big leagues.  He's compared by a couple of rags and a scout or two to Todd Helton.  The cautionary tale of the rushing of Helton to market should probably serve as a sober reminder that Stewart is still in many ways a kid, growing up fast down on the Rockies' farm.

He has the potential to skip Triple-A if he can wind up this season on a big note, and perform well at the AA level next year.

We rank him at 42 largely on the fact that he's still progressed only into High-A ball, and that he's having a bit of a plateau year rather than a boom year at the moment.