How Cincinnati Reds plan to ride no-fear rookies to playoffs | Reds Rookie Power Rankings

After Elly De La Cruz broke teammate Noelvi Marte’s face playing catch two weeks ago, Marte missed only two games before he was back at third base for the Cincinnati Reds – three before he was back in the lineup.

With no protective gear for his fractured nose. And no fear.

Reds Pirates Reds' defense makes key mistakes in another big loss in the playoff race

Reds analysis Why Cincinnati Reds have no business being in playoff chase — and why they are anyway

Reds commentary Cincinnati Reds MVP: Spencer Steer? Jonathan India? Or is it someone else?

He didn’t even try the protective mask in practice, he said, despite never having experienced an injury to his face and flinching the first few times balls were hit to him during infield practice after the July 9 accident.

“It’s all God’s grace, really,” Marte said in Spanish, through team translator Jorge Merlos. “I think God’s plan was just, ‘Hey, you’ve got to be able to be out there and go in and attack these guys. God willing, I’ve been able to go out there and contribute.”

Contribute?

Marte is 10-for-25 (.400) with a walk since the ill-fated moment when he turned his head as the mortified De La Cruz let go of that ball playing catch minutes before that game against the Cardinals two weeks ago.

He’s been a big part of why the Reds have managed to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot with barely a week to go in the season — if not a symbol of a no-fear class of rookies getting squeezed to the last drop down the stretch as the Reds ride the rookie horses that helped get them here all the way to the end.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Marte, who debuted in July and August, respectively, combined have hit .346 with a .523 slugging percentage and OPS over .900 during September.

“That’s incredible,” said second-year man Will Benson — who misses being one of the Reds’ rookie cast of thousands this year only because of a change last year in rookie eligibility qualifications. “They do it on a night-to-night basis it feels like – like it’s nothing.

“It’s crazy man,” Benson said. “But it just shows you the caliber of players that they are and hopefully to come.”

This also shows the caliber – and importance – of the Reds’ rookie class on this year’s success, and playoff hopes:

• Matt McLain, the ignitor since his debut in May, started a two-game minor-league rehab assignment Saturday in anticipation of a return to the lineup Tuesday in Cleveland with five games to go.

• When Brandon Williamson makes his 22nd start of the season Sunday, it’ll mark the 16th rookie pitching start for the Reds in their last 21 games.

• And Andrew Abbott, who debuted June 5, might well be the Reds’ No. 2 playoff starter, behind Hunter Greene, if they get there (if for no other reason than owning two of the team’s three wins against likely first-round opponent Milwaukee).

Good luck determining a team rookie of the year from a group that numbers 23 used this year (most in the majors), including eight who have made pitching starts and four who have comprised the entire Reds infield 22 times this year.

For now, we’ll settle for the latest edition of our Reds Rookie Power Rankings.

This week’s Power 5 (Sept. 16-22):

1. Spencer Steer (Last week: 2) – The guy who might be this team’s MVP overall returns to the top spot after a week’s absence on the strength of continued production every inning, every game near the top of the lineup (.350 with three walks and .935 OPS for the week), along with the most starts at more positions than anyone else on the team. He’s only the fourth player in Reds history to make at least 15 starts at four different positions in a season (1B, 2B, 3B, LF). And this: Assuming he plays the rest of the way, he’ll tie Pete Rose for the Reds rookie record of 157 games.

2. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Last week: 4) – Half of CES’ hits during a 6-for-17 (.353) week were home runs, including the go-ahead two-run shot in a 3-2 win over the Mets on the road and another Wednesday against the Twins team that traded him to the Reds last year. Despite a numbers crunch in the lineup, manager David Bell said he’s trying to find more consistent at-bats during these critical final games for the rookie who provides more power potential than anyone else on the team.

3. Connor Phillips (Last week: 5) – When the kid who started the season in Double-A pitched seven exceptional innings to beat the Minnesota Twins in his third big-league start of the season Monday, it not only turned out to be the Reds’ only victory in a six-day span (entering his subsequent start Saturday against the Pirates), but it also was the first start of that length for a Red since Aug. 22. Hunter Greene has since added another. But that’s how rare anything more than four innings has been for a Reds starter in the second half. If this team makes the playoffs, the newbiest of all Reds newbies is looking at his sixth big-league start in October.

4. Noelvi Marte (Last week: 1) – He made the most out of his four hits during the week, driving in three runs. Perhaps most impressively, he has filled in at shortstop with McLain on the IL and slumping Elly De La Cruz rotating to the bench, handling the position like the shortstop-by-trade he is. He’s hitting .377 this month with an .893 OPS as the games have increased in importance and pressure. “There’s always pressure,” he said. “But you kind of put that pressure in the back of your mind and just enjoy that time.”

5. Fernando Cruz (Last week: 3) – Cruz gave up a run for the first time since Sept. 8, as the opener in Wednesday’s tough loss to the Twins, but only after he’d exited the game with two outs in the second and that “run” at first base — and not before striking out four of the six batters he faced. By the time he got done striking out all four Pirates he faced Friday after entering with two on and two out in the seventh, he had retired 15 of 16 for the week, with nine Ks. If this team gets to the playoffs, he’ll be an unsung reason why — and maybe one of the top two or three choices to give the ball in the hottest spot.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fearless freshmen lead Cincinnati down stretch | Rookie Power Rankings