Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte's vision for the style of player he wants to become
GOODYEAR, Ariz. –– Last year, Cincinnati Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte arrived at spring training looking like a slugger. He had a big frame, big muscles and the look of a hitter who’d crush 30 home runs a season.
Then when he got called up in August, Marte looked completely different. He had slimmed down, his sprint speed was elite and his biggest strengths as a hitter were his polish and approach. In 35 big league games last year, Marte hit .316 with a .822 OPS, and he was arguably the Reds’ most consistent hitter down the stretch.
Marte’s transformation over the course of the season was a reminder of his youth and his potential. He’s still only 22 years old, and he can be whatever style of player that he wants to be.
“I’ve developed my own style,” Marte said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that’s able to work the way I do. Sure, I have some characteristics of (six-time All-Star) Manny Machado. But it’s my own style that I’ve developed.”
When the Reds acquired Marte in 2022 as the centerpiece of the Luis Castillo trade, Marte had the profile of a power hitting shortstop. The questions surrounding Marte were about how his athleticism would translate as he got older, and Marte left those concerns in the rearview mirror.
Marte isn’t quite as fast as Elly De La Cruz, and he didn’t play at an All-Star level over a long stretch of the 2023 season like Matt McLain did last year. Reds manager David Bell groups Marte in with those two stars as he discusses the upside in the Reds’ infield.
“(Marte) doesn’t need to change anything,” Bell said. “You forget that he’s at the very, very beginning stages of his career. He played so well last year. It’s important for us to remember that.”
During his six weeks in the big leagues last year, Marte did a little bit of everything. He took a few swings that showed his raw power and exit velocities could be as good as anyone’s. Unlike a lot of rookies, Marte showed patience at the plate and didn’t chase many pitches. He stole a base as a pinch-runner in his first big league game, and he made impressive plays in the infield during his entire stretch in MLB.
The home runs and the extra base hits were the missing piece. While Marte hit the ball hard, he didn’t elevate it in the air as much. He worked on that a lot during the offseason, and a few extra degrees of launch angle could carry a bunch of line drives over the fence in 2024.
While he worked on his power this offseason, Marte said he isn’t trying to just be a pure power hitter.
“It’s about having the mentality to help the team win,” Marte said. “It’s an ability that grew from within. I found that within. When you find who you are, you’ll be in position to help the team. When you put that all together, you’ll find something new. That’s why I was able to contribute as much as I did last year.”
Bell views Marte’s profile at the plate with a similar perspective. Because of how hard Marte hits the ball, he can stick to his line drive approach and still hit plenty of homers in Great American Ball Park.
“We don’t want him to make any changes to his swing to try to create those homers because he has such a really level line drive approach,” Bell said. “We’re staying with that and being patient. If the homers don’t come, being OK with that. They’re just going to happen because he does have natural power. He’s using the whole field. Gap-to-gap. Doubles. The occasional homer.”
Marte’s confidence popped early in his big league career, and the Reds have similar high expectations for him because of the intangibles that he showed last season. Last year, he got called up in August to be a role player as the Reds chased a playoff berth. The idea was that he’d make a few starts a week and hit near the bottom of the order, or that he’d contribute off the bench.
Because of how well Marte was playing, he started 21 games during the last month of the season and he hit in the middle third of the lineup.
“He’s a different beast,” Reds outfielder Will Benson said. “He’s comfortable in situations that you don’t think somebody would be comfortable in. That’s who he is, and that’s why he’ll be a great player. You can tell. It’s the same thing with Elly. He and Marte, they look at things a little different. They don’t have fear. They lay it all on the line.”
Earlier in Marte’s professional career, scouts wondered if he’d have to move to a corner outfield spot. Because of the work that Marte has done, he has solidified his spot as an infielder.
If the Reds didn’t have De La Cruz or McLain, then Marte would be the team’s starting shortstop. Marte has shown the Reds that he can make an impact at that position, but he’s focusing on third base in 2024 as the Reds fit their young core together.
New addition Jeimer Candelario will play a good amount of third base, but the Reds plan on having McLain, De La Cruz and Marte start plenty of games as the team’s second base-shortstop-third base combination.
“I definitely feel like I’ve been able to fully embrace the third base position,” Marte said. “I can dominate that position. I feel confident and loose going out there. I hope the results will turn out well this year.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Noelvi Marte is working toward becoming 'my own style' of player
