Noelvi Marte’s Bunt Attempt Raises Questions About Reds’ Offensive Approach

The Reds were trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game against the Dodgers. What happened next was truly mind-boggling.

With two runners on and nobody out, Noelvi Marte, who has been Cincinnati's hottest hitter, tried dropping down a bunt. The bunt was popped up to the pitcher who caught it and flipped the ball to second to turn a double play that killed the rally.

"Yeah, he was just trying to do too much," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "We would really rather him hit one off that scoreboard. It's a young guy trying to do too much."

Francona's comment seems to contradict what the coaching staff has been preaching all season long. Marte has never had a sacrifice bunt in his career. There is no reason he should even have bunting on his mind in that situation.

“I believe in the traditional, or whatever you want to call it,” Reds Hitting Coach Chris Valaika told Charlie Goldsmith earlier this year. “There’s always a place for situational hitting. There’s always a place for bunting. If you play to the scoreboard, the game takes care of itself. We keep talking about the right things."

The Reds have hit 25 home runs since the All-Star break. That ranks dead last in Major League Baseball.

Elly De La Cruz has only one home run since June 24. That means he's homered once in 54 games.

His Isolated Power of .093 is the 13th-lowest among qualified hitters in that stretch according to Matt Wilkes of Reds Content Plus. And it’s not just De La Cruz: TJ Friedl owns the second-lowest mark, while Matt McLain sits third-lowest over that timeframe.

The Reds preach small ball, but struggle to score or execute it effectively. They rank in the bottom half of the league in stolen bases. They are 3-9 in extra innings this season. They have struggled to drive the ghost runner in or advance that runner all season long.

They have scored three runs or fewer in 58 games this season. In those 58 games, they have a record of 12-46.

The offensive philosophy doesn't seem to be working.

“We’ve been trying to get guys that can hit first (over power),” Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall told Goldsmith. "Look at the draft and where we’ve gone the last four years. We’re looking to get guys that can hit. You’ve got a small ballpark. You can hit here, and you’re going to hit some home runs. We just need to continue to get good hitters.”

While the league embraces power at historic levels, the Reds’ approach feels like a step in the opposite direction.