When the 2026 season began for Noelvi Marte he was the Cincinnati Reds starting right fielder. It was the same job he had for most of 2025, too, And the one he had in 2024 after he returned from his suspension in the second half of the season.
The results were mixed in the past after having a strong showing at the end of 2023 with the Reds. In 2024 he was suspended after testing positive for a banned PED. When he returned Cincinnati immediately put him back into the lineup despite his hitting just .151 without a walk in 12 rehab games in Triple-A and the results weren’t good as he put up a .549 OPS for the Reds in 66 games in the second half. Things got a bit better in 2025 when he hit .263/.300/.448 in 90 games in MLB. The on-base percentage needed some work, but ht hit for a solid average and showed enough power to keep pitchers honest.
The start to 2026 was a disaster, though. In the first two weeks of the season he hit just .138 with two walks and no extra-base hits. And he wasn’t exactly showing well in the other aspects of the game outside of the batters box, either. The Reds made the decision to option him back to Triple-A to try and get things straightened out.
In the batters box that has gone well. In 28 games since he was sent to the minors, Noelvi Marte has hit .378/.435/.568 for Louisville. He’s had 124 plate appearances and has walked 11 times and struck out just 21 times.
Sometimes there are things worth looking at beyond just the raw numbers, though. One of the big reasons that Marte struggled to hit this season with Cincinnati is that he was chasing the ball out of the strikezone at an incredibly high rate. The sample size was small, of course, but he expanded the zone and swung at non-strikes 47.4% of the time. To put that in context, the league average rate this season is 30.0%, meaning that Marte was expanding the zone 58% more often than league average. You just aren’t going to be a good hitter doing that.
So how has that number looked since he’s joined Louisville? It has certainly improved. With the Bats he’s expanding the strikezone 32.3% of the time. That’s still a number you would like to improve some, but it’s well within the “normal” range when comparing it to the big league average. Of course he’s also not facing big league pitchers while down in Triple-A, either. The number is in line with where he’s been at for his big league career, though, where his chase rate is 34.5%.
Where Marte has also been good this season, and this was even true in his limited big league time, is making contact when he swings at pitches in the zone. With the Reds he made contact on 90.6% of the pitches he swung at that were in the zone before he was sent down and now in Triple-A that rate is at 91.5%. MLB’s average this season for zone contact is 85.6%. Marte is swinging less at pitches in the zone with Louisville than he was with the Reds (62.1% vs 68.1%), and his current rate is the lowest he’s had since 2023 at either the Triple-A or MLB level. It’s not too far from MLB average, though, which has been 63.9% this season.
Marte has been taking a more patient approach. And it’s been working out quite well for him. He’s walking at a solid clip, he’s hitting the ball hard, he’s showing power, and he’s making contact. Maybe a big part, too, is that he’s getting the ball elevated. The sample size was small, but with the Reds this season his average launch angle was -0.7°. In 2025 with Cincinnati it was 12.7°. In 2024 it was 11.3°. With Louisville it’s currently at 6.6°. There are 312 players with at least 50 batted balls in MLB this season (not including bunts). A 6.6° launch angle would rank tied for 289th.
On one hand, you absolutely want to see him elevate the ball more than he has been – even with Louisville. But on the other hand you can succeed with that rate. His launch angle of 6.6° would have him tied with two players if he had that rate in MLB – Oneil Cruz and Randy Arozarena. Both players are having well above-average offensive seasons right now. Both guys also hit the ball very hard and have above-average exit velocities both overall and in their EV50 (the average exit velocity on the hardest 50% of their batted balls), though Cruz is elite in both areas while Arozarena is merely above-average.
When it comes to average exit velocity and the EV50 numbers for Marte in Triple-A, he’s doing fine. His average exit velocity is 90.6 MPH. The big league average is around 89 MPH. If in the big leagues that number would rank tied for 82nd out of 312 hitters with at least 50 batted balls. His EV50 is 102.5 MPH. The big league average on EV50 is right around 100 MPH. His 102.5 mark, if it were in the big leagues, would ranked tied for 41st out of the 312 batters with at least 50 batted balls this season.
The Reds have churned through all kinds of options in the outfield already this season. They have used TJ Friedl, Dane Myers, Spencer Steer, Rece Hinds, Will Benson, Blake Dunn, and JJ Bleday along with Marte. For the most part it’s been a lot of struggling and not a lot of hitting. Bleday is currently hitting well and Steer has certainly turned his season around after a slow start and is hitting quite well, now, too. Both of those guys play in the corners. That’s where Marte has played for the most part, too. But in Louisville he has gotten more innings in center than he has in right field, though he’s been splitting time at both spots.
Whether or not the team actually has a thought that he could be a big league center fielder or not is another question. But for now that seems to be the lone path to playing time for him on a daily basis, especially if the team gets healthier as the DH spot will go out the window for much of the team with Eugenio Suarez returning, which means more time for Steer in left field than him working around the entire field.
TJ Friedl hasn’t been hitting much this season, but he’s got a longer track record of actually being a productive big league hitter. Dane Myers doesn’t have much of a track record of hitting in the big leagues, but in his limited time this season he’s hit fairly well. Marte certainly has more upside than either of those two guys at the plate, but there are unanswered questions about his bat, too. And defensively he’s been questionable in right field and is rather limited in experience in center – though center is the easier spot on the field to get reads on batted balls.
If Friedl can’t pick up his hitting, maybe the Reds will take a look at Marte as an option in center. But for now he’s likely to remain in Louisville to continue working on things both at the plate and in the field, waiting for his next chance.
The time has come to take a chance and make Marte the everyday CF. It is a gamble but he has the highest upside of any player the Reds have except Elly and maybe Sal.
Reds clinging to their hope strategy. Good luck with that.
If I remember correctly, Marte has showed some elite sprint speed in the past, and has an above-average arm.
I know that it’s not the be-all-end-all for a centerfielder, but it would certainly help. We’ll just have to see if he can get good reads on the ball.
Gamble putting him in CF? Not really because they have nothing to lose. Going nowhere with this pitching anyway. Marte in CF is great for Overs. Ours and theirs
Marte has played some CF at Louisville AAA, according to the box score.
Don’t know how well he did.
Bring Marte up now and put him back in right field. Put Steer permanently at first base and move Stewart to third base. Only play Hayes as a defensive replacement late in the game.
Let Friedl play and hope he breaks out of his slump.
You nailed it Jeff!
Sorry guys but if Marte can play CF it solves so many problems.
I think most would be on board with that plan. The problem is it seems pretty apparent that the Reds are not going to do that.
I agree but the question is, why not? I have to believe it is Francona and if whatever problem he has with Marte is keeping him in AAA then the Reds hired the wrong guy.
@Mark, I realize some here have posted about Marte being in Francona’s doghouse. There’s a good bit of conjecture derived from a few public quotes made in Spring Training to arrive at this conclusion. Remember, Marte made the opening day roster, but flailed at the plate. Meader has publicly stated that the Reds wanted to see Marte’s hitting approach improve–of course, that is the aspect Doug, the professional journalist who runs this site, chose to address in his article. No credible journalist has validated the Marte has an attitude problem theory. It’s just as easy to believe those ST reports were addressing that Marte is a very young man who is still learning the finer points of growing and finding consistency in a very hard game.
Mark, I think it’s got more to do with Ke’Bryan Hayes. They want him to play almost every day.
Hayes is starting at third, which means that Stewart is starting at first, which means that most days Steer is starting in left, which means that Bleday is starting in right.
That just leaves center for Marte right now if he’s going to come up and play.
Yay! Ke’Bryan Hayes, every day, all day! Yay!
Too bad that Jeimer Candalario is not still around, then he could play everyday too! Great guy, and getting paid $15 million dollars this year.
Edwin Arroyo batting nearly .340 at AAA, and could play 2nd or 3rd….needs more seasoning at AAA. Can’t rock the roster boat. Nick Krall has plans and ideas here.
Will Benson is batting out on the Interstate. Still on the roster.
But Rece Hinds….BAD!!!!! DFA him to bring up a 3rd string catcher.
This organization makes less and less sense every day. At least JJ Bleday is up here NOW. He should have made the opening day roster instead of Will Benson. Benson batting 0.174 in 76 AB’s, with 2 HR and 4 RBI’s. He’s a Tito Francona All Star!
While his hitting is probably the main reason he was sent down, I think he made some gafs on the base paths that indicated his head wasn’t in the game or just not thinkin.
Maybe true, but did you watch the game yesterday with Sal and Mclain.
Are there any metrics to show us if Marte is improving his opposite-field hitting? Every time I have ever watched him, he shows as a pull-only approach, making him susceptible to breaking balls away. Curious to see if there are stats out there to show his minor league hitting to RC and RF. Thanks, Doug!
This season with the Reds he absolutely pulled the ball almost all of the time. That hasn’t been the case in the past for him. In Triple-A he’s still pulling the ball often, but significantly less than he did in his limited time with Cincinnati in 2026.
Nice article Doug…
Would Marte and Arroyo be the guys who the Reds should call up trying to improve the team? Now the pitching is a real problem too but it seems it’s tougher to find solutions in that aspect…
Hey, maybe Arroyo could play centerfield! (ok, that’s just sarcasm from the David Bell days of playing a shortstop in CF).
Should the Reds want to bring up Arroyo but not Marte there IS another option but the Reds probably won’t do it although things are getting more desperate all the time. That is to move McLain to CF (which he has played there as late as fall ball in 2024) and Arroyo at 2B.
Good work Doug. We all should be using Fangraphs more before reaching conclusions.
WhAt? UsE NewFanGlEd stufF tO heLp beTtEr uNdeRstanD a pLayErs BA? ThAts CraZy taLk!
LOL. Following RML for so long, I’ve learned to look beyond AAA counting numbers and examine a player’s approach. Today, even the average fan can get a glimpse into the quality of a hitter’s approach. The chasm between AAA and MLB hitting is about as wide as I can recall.
Who cares about results when your launch angle is .7 percent better? Who cares about his .103 batting average, he still has a 120 exit velo! Yea thats important stuff bud. Thats what built the current Reds dynasty.
@Justin T
I wanted to thank you for the excellent example of how someone who is ignorant and intolerant of baseball analytics would reply to the suggestion that they can provide better understanding of the game.
Doug, can you comment on Marte’s ground ball numbers?
I was shocked when i saw his GB% at 84% while with the Reds earlier (it’s currently 54.4.% (and with a 0.0% line drive rate).
On checking his career rates, I saw his good years, ie 2023, at 44.5% in the minors and 52.8% in the majors, where his lesser numbers were all mid 50’s.
So, for one, where should a player like Marte with some swing and miss but very good power, be in relation to ground ball rate?
Secondly, a few years back, BA and JJ Cooper were all over Cam Collier for having GB rate of 53% in A ball. Given that is where Marte is at in AAA, I need some clarification or at least an opinion on how these two predict success or failure, or both.
The league average GB rate is around 42%. Some guys, even guys with power, can get by at 50%. But you probably want to be more around 40% if you’ve got enough pop to hit real home runs and Marte certainly fits that bill. You would really like to see him get the ball in the air more than he has this season at both of the levels he has played.
How is Marte looking defensively? If he could handle CF, there’s a clear path to consistent playing time. It’s hard to see him bumping either Bleday or Steer from a corner outfield position right now.
I don’t know how he’s looked, but I know Krall was publicly speculating on Marte in CF this last offseason. It’s nice to have a guy like Myers or Dunn to back up that position if he’s having some growing pains there.
Has he shown the ability to throw strikes in the late innings? If so get him up here tomorrow
That is a very insightful comment. 🙂
Marte does well at AAA. He needs to work on a swing that can be consistent at the Major League level. Injuries have really hurt the Reds this year. I hope they kind have better luck because they will need it. For now, they need to find ways to win every day with the team they have.
Just read a article in regards to Arroyo. Doesnt sound like he is coming up anytime soon. Sounds like same situation as with Stewart last season. Its on the reds website. Krall has some interesting quotes in regards to Arroyo. *Shrugs *
If Arroyo comes up that would be bad news for Hayes. One could argue that Krall has a vested interest in keeping Hayes on the team as long as possible to save embarrassment. That was one of the worst trades I’ve ever seen.
“Sounds like same situation as with Stewart last season.”
How did that work out not getting up Stewart to the majors earlier?
It seems Marte is responding to the Louisville hitting coach, Daryle Ward. That’s a positive.
I have kind of a dumb question. If Daryle Ward is doing a good job at AAA Louisville (and he seems to be), then….why not promote him to work with the Major League club and ask Chris Valaika to find employment elsewhere?
Just a thought. Probably a dumb one.
I think you mentioned this once before or someone did. To me its worth a shot.. Who knows, it may just work?
And no question is dumb.
I mentioned this 2 weeks ago. I think its a no brainer. They need a different voice and he has played 11 seasons in the big leagues. Almost the whole lineup at Louisville is hitting well. He has way more credentials than Valaika. I don’t think its dumb at all, I think it would help.
From information from this site Chris is Tito’s guy He also was hitting coach at Cleveland when Tito coached up there.
Marte belongs on a big-league roster, and everyone most likely knows that. (Inserting “I think” so as to not confuse anyone.) I’d wager he’s back with the Reds in another week or so, maybe for the St. Louis series. TBH, that suddenly is not even close to the worst problem this franchise faces.
The Reds rushed Marte back after his suspension and he did poorly.
They rushed him back last season after assigning him to AAA for his defense, and he did poorly again, so poorly at 3B they had to move him to RF (while he hit well, some of the time, he also had struggles which then carried over to 2026).
To me, it can be argued the Reds did him few favors on both occasions. You can say he is older now. Or that he had some success. But i will say (and I am a fairly strong supporter of Noelvi Marte) that whatever he needs to fix in his hitting may not be engrained enough after 28 games and 124 plate appearances to ensure success vs ML pitching.
Given his three previous assignments at AAA, amounting to 167 plate appearances followed by 53 and 53 plate appearances (273), with his 124 this year, he’s still had less than 400. Not even a full season.
Sure, not everyone needs a full season at AAA, facing 30 year old pitchers who throw slider after slider. But, given then results, you can’t really say Marte has developed in these shorter stints. There is a good argument that it’s probably the opposite.
There is a lot at stake with Marte’s success or failure. Now that Rece Hinds is DFA’d, Marte is probably the last best hope for that long missing, power hitting OF with a big arm. Bleday helps but still, there are no high level OF’s in the minor league system, at least within several years of the majors. Some good role players, yes. But not players who might hit at the top of the order or middle of the lineup for five years.
I just think what is best for Marte and the Reds is for him to be at AAA until those skills and abilities, and that knowledge and experience, are very well established. That the risk taken in his development is lowered rather than elevated. I could be wrong. There may be a quicker fix, a minor adjustment. But what they have done has not worked so well that it’s a good bet to try a short term assignment yet again.
Good points.
@DaveCT>> I had a dream last night that whichever team ended up with Hinds had him playing every day at MLB by mid June. He immediately went on an absolute tear through the All-Star break, picked right back up after the break, and the Reds, yes, the Reds, traded for him at the break because Suarez never quite got back his pop.
When asked about this strange turn of events, Francona replied, “I said all along I loved the kid, his tools were obvious, and sometimes when a guy was given an opportunity, things worked out for him. 😉
If Hinds up with the Dodgers, I might laugh til I cry.
Now that’s funny. D:
I think the Reds should move on from Marte. And he was my favorite hitter of 2023 group of youngsters that came up. I’m surprised how they handled him this spring training and at the beginning of the season. You got a sense they were not happy with him for whatever reason.
Krall has spent too much time trying to make Marte work and it’s kind of hurt the club in a way. Not blaming Marte for some of the Reds problems, but part of the reason they traded for Hayes is because Marte couldn’t play 3rd. Then they’re grasping with the Right Field situation bringing up Hinds, starting Benson, Steer, just kind of can’t quite figure it out because again Marte couldn’t be relied on for Right Field.
I still like his hitting potential, but I think I’d let him just dominate Triple A at least for this year, and either trade him when it makes sense…or maybe a full year in Triple A he matures in different ways and you think of him on your 2027 roster.
Marte won’t have to wait long. Bleday will go on the IL with whiplash from one of Singers starts
How is Marte doing with left handers? Both he and Hinds were awful in their brief appearances earlier this year. With Benson and Friedl struggling against left handers specifically, and the team struggling on the whole, we need a right handed stick that hits lefties and can play defense in outfield.
I believe if Hinds had hit lefties at all, he might have stuck around.
I thought Hinds had reverse splits. If so, then he should have been seeing right handed pitchers predominantly, should he not?
It would seem that way, but I would wager dollars vs. donuts, a major part of the reason Blake Dunn is on the Reds 26 MLB roster and Rece Hinds is in DFA purgatory is Hinds inability to hit LH pitching.
Send Benson down- what’s he contributing?- and bring Marte up. Marte hits righthanders better than Benson. If he struggles against lefties Dunn could platoon.
Putting Benson at leadoff was just maddening. This team needs more offense.
Speaking of outfielders , there is a young man at the University of Louisville who the Reds should target in the upcoming MLB draft . He is an absolute stud … can hit , has made leaps and bounds as an outfielder , can hit with power , speed , rocket arm …. 5 tool player if there ever was one . Plays the game hard and is an absolute winner…. Would love to see him on this roster at some point in the very near future …. It’s not gonna take him much time to climb the
ladder either . Zion Rose would look good in a Cincinnati Reds uniform !
Just had a look at his stats.
Power numbers are lacking a bit, but his on-base skills look great. Walked more than he’s struck out. 31 SB last season and 23 SB this season is intriguing.
Looks like he could be a good leadoff hitter.
Lower power numbers could possibly be
attributed to him missing about first 20 games to start season then about another week during season due to ankle/ hamstring injuries …. He is indeed currently leading off for Louisville … can see him play tomorrow night at 9 pm in acc
baseball tourney .. he’s gonna be a steal for somebody in MLB draft … kid has great bat to ball skills
Does he last until #18?
That’s a very good question ! If he does I would jump all over it ……Reds have
thoroughly addressed pitchers the last several years in draft … and yes , you
never have enough pitching . They have not really overly addressed offensive needs in my opinion … and now you’re seeing it translate at the MLB level …
especially in the outfield ….. This young man would be a tremendous get if he’s still there at 18
MLB Pipeline is so-so on Rose. According to scouting reports he chases at the plate a lot (remind you of anyone we know?) and his defense and arm are rated just average. He is their #29 prospect, so he could likely be available when the Reds pick.
Other outfielders of note include Caden Sorrell (Texas A&M) and Aiden Robbins (Texas)
College hitters just don’t face a competitive pitcher in every at-bat and that’s nobody’s fault. Not all college pitchers belong in the pros. Walks are way too high as a rule, so finding a middle ground on the stats is tough, esp. with the aluminum bats and, in some cases, inexperienced infielders. Whiff rate might matter but all in all, I think you go with guys who stayed healthy, drive the ball into the gaps and run bases well. Not many Nick Kurtz types out there.
I personally don’t have much confidence in Marte. He just doesn’t seem like a guy who you can depend on to keep his head on straight consistently. Evidently the Reds have even less confidence in him considering the current state of the outfield options.
I’d love for HRod to take off and although not bad so far he hasn’t really done that yet.
Whether it’s Marte or HRod etc. the outfield defense options just aren’t very good at the moment unless you play Dunn.
Marte leads all AAA in batting average at .378 If they’re waiting for him to be perfect, it’ll be a while
“When the 2026 season began for Noelvi Marte he was the Cincinnati Reds starting right fielder. It was the same job he had for most of 2025, too, And the one he had in 2024 after he returned from his suspension in the second half of the season.”
AFAICT, Marte played zero games in RF in 2024.