The Reds Need Noelvi Marte To Take the Next Step in 2026

Noelvi Marte was the main piece the Cincinnati Reds received in return for Luis Castillo at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. At the time, he was one of the top prospects in all of baseball and was penciled in as a guy who, for the Reds to truly make something of their rebuild, would be a catalyst on the next winning team in Cincinnati.

Those high expectations got off to a fast start in 2023 when he debuted towards the end of the season, slashing .316/.366/.456 in 35 games, good for a 120 wRC+.

Since then? A 48 wRC+ and a 101 wRC+ over the last two seasons.

The 2024 season was truly a lost one for Marte, as he was hit with a PED suspension heading into the year and just never got his feet under him. He appeared in 66 games in the second half of the season and produced -1.4 FanGraphs WAR.

Heading into 2025, he truly had to earn his playing time in Cincinnati. And he did that, as he put up a .263/.300/.448 slash line along with 14 home runs across 90 games. If it weren’t for a .502 OPS in the month of September, those numbers would be much better.

Marte’s 2025 was most notable for his move from third base to right field.

In those 66 games in 2024, Marte graded out as one of the worst defenders in baseball at third, as he posted -11 Outs Above Average and -8 Defensive Runs Saved. A move off the hot corner seemed imminent, but he remained there to begin the year.

At the mid-season mark, Marte played his first game in right field and continued there the rest of the year. He logged just under 440 innings in right to finish out the campaign. A position change for any player can be tricky, but for Marte to put up just -1 OAA and +5 DRS in his first taste of a corner outfield spot was a great sign.

A season saving robbed home run by Marte against the Pirates was one of, if not the most memorable moment of the 2025 season for the Reds.

Hopefully, heading into 2026, now solidified in his new role, he can feel less pressure in the field and put more of his focus into making strides at the plate.

Over the last two seasons, Marte has struggled to make hard contact; he ranked in just the 21st percentile in MLB in hard-hit rate in 2025. It isn’t a problem of swing speed, as he is above average in that category. He just needs to make more quality contact.

Marte’s strikeout percentage dropped from 31% in 2024 to 23.8% in 2025. A great improvement. However, that 2025 mark was still just in the 36th percentile in baseball. Another step forward in that department will help Marte immensely.

However, the biggest obstacle that is keeping Marte from being a legitimate dude in the Reds lineup is his righty-lefty splits. He is actually a reverse-splits guy, as he has hit righties much better than lefties so far.

In 2025, Marte slashed .275/.305/.516 against righties, good enough for an .821 OPS and a 119 wRC+. Against lefties, those numbers plummeted, and he put up a .562 OPS and a 55 wRC+.

An almost 260-point difference in OPS and a 64% difference in wRC+ showcases the dramatic split – and the dramatic need for Marte to correct it. In fact, all but one of Marte’s 14 home runs last year came against right-handed pitchers.

If these splits continue, Marte is a bulk platoon outfielder. A bulk platoon outfielder can still be a solid player for a good team. But this Reds team needs Marte to be a difference maker.

If he can take a sizeable step forward, this lineup looks a lot different.

The additions of Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez to the (hopefully) everyday lineup are going to greatly improve this offense. If the Reds can count on those two guys to be difference-makers while banking on TJ Friedl, Tyler Stephenson, and Spencer Steer to be solid, that’s a good place to be.

Still, this team needs one more game-changing bat. The Reds are hoping Matt McLain can bounce back to his great rookie numbers from 2023, but Marte needs to take the reins and solidify himself as an extra difference-maker.

Marte had an unusual performance in 2025 when it came to showing up at the plate when his team needed him. He hit .287 with men in scoring position, but he also had a 55 wRC+ in high-leverage situations, according to FanGraphs.

What I can say for sure is that Marte becoming a bona fide middle-of-the-order bat will be key for this Reds team to make a jump.

Spending more of his season in the two-hole than anywhere else, Marte hit just .222 in that spot over 130 plate appearances. But, in the fifth and sixth spots, the 24-year-old hit .259 and .361, respectively, over a combined 96 plate appearances.

That is a small sample, but Marte seems to be comfortable running out of the dugout to make plays in right field and drive runs in from the middle of the order. He just needs to take that next step as a player and do it over a full season and be able to hit lefties.

If Marte can become a guy that hits .270 over a full season while striking out around 20% of the time, hitting 25-plus dingers, and driving in runs when the moment presents itself, it would give the Reds exactly the kind of jump this ballclub needs.

Noelvi Marte was acquired to be a guy who helps lead the Reds to success. It is time for him to live up to the billing and deliver in 2026.