If you thought the Cincinnati Reds couldn’t possibly be holding on to any more top infield prospects after already promoting Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, well, think again. Cincy is reportedly set to call up shortstop/third baseman Noelvi Marte — MLB Pipeline’s No. 24 overall prospect — for his Major League debut on Saturday, as they empty the chamber in search of what would be their first full-season playoff berth since 2013.
Sources: Top prospect Noelvi Marte is being called up by the Cincinnati Reds. Marte, 21, was acquired by the Reds in the Luis Castillo trade last season and is ranked as the No. 24 prospect in baseball by @MLBPipeline.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 19, 2023
Acquired as part of the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners, Marte has been gracing top prospect lists from pretty much the moment he signed with Seattle for $1.55 million as an international free agent back in 2019. The 21-year-old has a 6’2, 210-pound frame that’s the dictionary definition of “projectionable”, with prodigious raw power and a shot at sticking somewhere on the left side of the infield.
The Cincinnati #Reds are calling up Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville. Here’s a 464-foot home run he hit a few weeks ago for the Bats pic.twitter.com/rSuKkJVbiQ
— Redleg Nation (@redlegnation) August 19, 2023
Getting those tools into actual games has been a bit more of a challenge, but it’s worth noting that Marte has been promoted aggressively at just about every stop in his career — he’s slashed .279/.358/.454 with 11 homers and 18 steals in 92 games across Double-A and Triple-A this season at just 21 years old. The approach at the plate still leaves something to be desired; Marte draws his fair share of walks and doesn’t strike out too much, but some iffy swing decisions mean he hits the ball on the ground too much for someone who can hit the ball as hard as he does. He’s made real strides in that area over the past year or so, though, and it’s never wise to bet against someone with his physical tools who’s consistently put up above-average stat lines despite being young for every pro league he’s ever played in.
In addition to the question marks about Marte’s offensive profile, it’s also a bit unclear where he fits into Cincy’s current playoff push. Jonathan India suffered a setback in his rehab and is now expected to be out until some time in September, meaning that the Reds could install McLain as their every-day second baseman — with De La Cruz at short, Marte at third and Spencer Steer at first. That would create a platoon at the DH spot, with Joey Votto handling righties and Encarnacion-Strand getting the nod against lefties. Tyler Stephenson also figures to demand some ABs at DH, though, and that plan leaves Encarnacion-Strand whiling away on the bench most days.
Still, that’s a good problem to have, especially for a team in need of a shot in the arm at the plate over the final few weeks of the season. After a great start to the season, the Reds have cooled off of late, ranking just 23rd in team wRC+ since the start of August. They enter play Saturday tied with the Marlins for the third and final NL Wild Card spot, with two more crucial games against the Blue Jays this weekend before kicking off a West Coast swing against the Angels. Marte is likely to face a learning curve against big-league pitching, but his upside is undeniable, and he’s more than used to being the youngest guy in the locker room.
