Elly De La Cruz is the undisputed face of the current Cincinnati Reds team and has been receiving most of the media attention. While he’s been playing well, though, Noelvi Marte has been putting together the best season of his career.
Marte is in his third year at the MLB level and is finally flashing the potential he showed as a prospect. With that in mind, here’s why he’s a vital piece to the Reds’ future, including a look at his slow start, his breakout season, and his future role with the team.
Slow Start 
Acquired as part of the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners, Marte was the top-ranked prospect in their system. Despite entering Cincinnati’s system with high hopes, when he finally reached the big leagues, his start was marred by injury and a PED-related suspension.
This limited the amount of games Marte was able to play to only 35 in his first season and 66 in his second. During this time, he was averaging .245 behind the plate and had 84 hits, 33 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and seven home runs. While these numbers are solid, he seems to have taken the next step as a player in 2025.
Breakout Season 
In what’s been a sort of breakout year for Marte, he’s improved drastically in every regard behind the plate. This season, he’s batting .287 with 49 hits, eight homers, 33 RBI, and seven stolen bases through 49 games.
Marte is also posting a career-high in home-run percentage (4.4) and a career low in strikeout percentage (18.6). If he isn’t putting up a career best in a particular stat at this point, he’s on pace to by the end of the season.
Marte has also come up clutch multiple times, showing he’s not intimidated by the big moments. It’s not only behind the plate, though, where he’s proving his value to the team.
Although Marte had spent some time in the outfield prior, the acquisition of Ke’Bryan Hayes essentially solidified him as the go-to right fielder. He’s been playing exceptionally, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage so far through 13 games.
The thing is, Marte wasn’t a bad third baseman, having put up a .936 fielding percentage this season before switching positions. What this represents is the versatility he brings to this squad.
If Hayes has to miss time at third, Marte could be plugged in no problem and, while not as good defensively as Hayes, would offer a level of security at the position. Nothing would be lost in the outfield, either, as the team was already platooning before moving him out there.
Future With The Reds
While it’s widely believed that De La Cruz’s time in Cincinnati is limited, Marte could very well spend the better part of his career as a Red. If he continues to improve at this rate, and De La Cruz does indeed depart, Marte is the kind of player who can become the face of this team.
Marte’s still very young and in the infancy of his MLB career, but at this rate, he will be an elite-level talent soon. Being able to play multiple positions extends his potential, too, as it brings a variety of plug-and-play options to fit different scenarios.
Having a player like De La Cruz is rare, and players of his caliber (especially in small markets) tend to work their way to either Los Angeles or New York. A player like Marte, however, could be one to target as a long-term face of the team.
Marte certainly has the talent, and if ownership decides to buck the trend of disappointing fans and pull the trigger on an extension, it could prove to be extremely beneficial. Whether De La Cruz remains a Red or not, Cincinnati has a gem in Marte that should be a fixture of this team for years to come.
End Of My Reds And Noelvi Marte Rant 
With how Marte is playing this season, it’s becoming clear he’s going to be a very good baseball player. Playing exceptionally on both ends of the ball, he’s the kind of guy who can develop into the face of a team.
Despite Cincinnati already having their face in De La Cruz, his agent (Scott Boras) has been very open about his clients getting as much money as possible. Marte could be the exact kind of player to take that mantle if (or rather when) De La Cruz makes his departure for greener pastures.
Despite starting his MLB career relatively slowly, Marte is surging through the best season of his career on both offense and defense at multiple positions. Even if his play plateaus where it currently is, he’s still playing well enough to warrant a roster spot. If he continues to improve, however, as all indications point towards, he will emerge as one of the faces of this Reds team.
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