Noelvi Marte Capitalizing on Opportunity to Earn Role in the Majors

In his career, it has never been a matter of lack of talent when it comes to Noelvi Marte's success. Rather, piecing the elements of his game altogether and simply producing regularly. His past inability to maintain production at the plate in the majors will be key, as he must contribute more consistently to justify his roster spot. 

The former shortstop turned third baseman initially came to the Reds via the Seattle Mariners in the Luis Castillo trade. The 6'2" and 216lbs slugger has always had the power, arm strength, and speed to go along with quality defense to be a major league starter. However, the plate discipline has been the focus to improve upon.

When Marte was first called up to the MLB in 2023 at 21 years old, his 35 games played resulted in three home runs, 15 RBI, a .316 batting average, and six stolen bases. At the time, it looked like he was going to blossom alongside Elly De La Cruz, until last March when he was hit with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances. 

From there, Marte's sophomore year in 2024 was a disaster despite playing in a career-high 66 games. He finished with -1.8 wins above replacement, hitting for a .210 batting average and .248 on-base percentage. For a player who can hit all over the field, he was pulling and striking out at the plate at an alarming rate.

Now with a new chance to make his presence known in the majors, Marte is thriving in a lineup that he only needs to complement. In shifting lower in the batting order, Marte's speed on the base path and improved plate discipline have been key. 

It is inevitable that the longer he is in the majors, the more likely it is that he will cool off at some point. After all, he does have an expected batting average of just .248. Even so, if Noelvi Marte can prove to be a reliable hitter in the batting order in the coming weeks, he will force the front office to make a tough decision about who remains on the active roster.