Noelvi Marte Poised to Become a Key Force in the Reds’ 2026 Lineup

The Cincinnati Reds had a very mid-year at the plate. Only a few players posted above-average years at the dish, with no one really going off. Noelvi Marte found himself a home in right field and will be looked to as a key contributor next year.

This is part of the “Will he mash?” series of posts. We will look at the key contributors to the Reds in 2025 and answer the question of if they will be a key contributor to the lineup next year.

Marte WILL mash in 2026.

Around July, the Reds decided where to play Marte. They began playing him more and more in right field. Then, on Trade Deadline Day, the Reds acquired Ke’Bryan Hayes and made Marte the permanent right fielder.

Marte’s production at the plate flourished around this time. For the months of July and August, he slashed .288/.328/.508 in 177 at-bats. He had 20 extra-base hits, nine of them being homers, during that time.

He ran out of steam in September. Marte’s slash line dipped to .191/.214/.287 in the season’s final month.

The peripherals are mixed on him but there are two encouraging signs. His bat speed is in the upper echelon of the league, near Elly De La Cruz, and his barrel rate is right around league average.

He’s 24 years old. He will continue to work on his plate discipline, which saw a marked decrease in strikeout rate last year. If he adds to his walk rate next year while keeping the strikeout rate steady, then Marte will be just fine.

Noelvi Marte will mash in 2026.

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Noelvi Marte Poised to Become a Key Force in the Reds’ 2026 Lineup

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