Noelvi Marte looks like he belongs again

At the start of spring training, if you said that Noelvi Marte was going to be the Reds’ every day third baseman by the end of April, it would have sounded extremely unrealistic.

Marte’s 2024 season was a disaster in every facet of his game. His confidence, athleticism and baseball IQ weren’t where they needed to be. His season started with an 80-game suspension.

Where Marte is right now — carrying a .364 average and back in the lineup on a daily basis — is the best story of their season, and it’s one of that could significantly change the ceiling of this team.

“You can see the difference in the way he takes care of his business in practice and the games,” Santiago Espinal said. “He’s confident. That’s the most important thing. The mental side of it. He’s at peace with himself mentally. I’m more proud of him than anything else.”

Back in 2024, Marte reported to spring training as the Reds’ every day third baseman, and he was expecting to hit his way into the Rookie of the Year race. One of his closest friends is two-time Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners. They’re the same age, and Marte was ready to prove that he’s just as good as his close friend.

Before Marte’s 2024 season even started, he got suspended for 80 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. When he returned, Marte played terribly.

Even though he only appeared in 66 big league games last season, Marte had the second-worst WAR among all big league position players. He couldn’t hit, throw or make routine plays at third base.

“He’s one of the youngest guys in the league, and he’s dealing with the adversity of the stuff that happened to him,” Reds bench coach Freddie Benavides said on Monday. “There’s the pressure to belong. And I think he wasn’t ready physically. He wasn’t in great shape. He wasn’t as flexible, and he wasn’t ready to play.”

Marte thought that 2024 was going to be the breakout year that made him a star. When he returned from the suspension, that pressure weighed on him.

“Last year was a tough positon for him coming off that suspension and having the pressure to play every day,” Santiago Espinal said. “He wanted to prove it.”

Marte, still just 23 years old, has a presence this year that feels completely different compared to how he carried himself in 2024.

Marte stopped wearing yellow accessories because “he didn't want to be a distraction.” When the Reds informed him that he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster, he impressed manager Terry Francona with how he responded to that news.

Now, he’s back in the big leagues and starting at third base for the Reds every day.

“I thank God because he helped me come back and feel myself,” Marte said via interpreter Tomas Vera. “Doing what I’m doing right now, I’m confident in myself.”

Benavides said, “He’s carrying himself like he belongs.”

At the end of the 2024 season, Marte met with Benavides, who was the Reds’ interim manager at the time. Benavides told Marte that the season he had just gone through was in the past. Forget about it. Come into camp in great shape in 2025, work your tail off and compete for a spot.

“He was 22, and he was trying to survive in the big leagues,” Benavides said on Monday, looking back on Marte’s growth over the last twelve months. “Whether there’s a suspension or not, the pressure to perform is always tough. He was set back. He missed 80 days. When he came back, it was a lot for him to handle at a young age.”

Francona shared a similar message with Marte at the start of spring training.

Marte spent most of spring training working with the minor leaguers in big league camp. It was clear right away that he wouldn’t be breaking camp on the big league roster.

“We were really honest with him,” Francona said. “We told him we wanted him to earn it, but we also told him we were pulling for him. He wasn’t in the penalty box. There’s nothing wrong with earning it.”

Marte went to Triple-A to start this season and hit .353 through nine games. Then, something unexpected happened.

The Reds had a wave of short-term injuries at the big league level on April 8, and they needed a few guys to fill-in. Marte was on the 40-man roster and was swinging the bat well, so he replaced Matt McLain on the roster for five days as McLain battled a tweaked hamstring.

When Marte was called up, he was on the bench for three straight games. He was not called up to play.

On April 12, with the Reds facing a left-hander and with Christian Encarnacion-Strand battling a back injury, Marte got a shot in the lineup. He played a terrific game and opened some eyes.

“That was great to see,” Benavides said. “There was a play he made late in the game down the line. He fired a ball across the field to save a run. It was awesome to see that. You could see his confidence starting to come back.”

McLain returned on April 15, so Marte went back to Triple-A. But then Encarnacion-Strand went on the IL on April 17.

The Reds had a few options at that point. Because they were almost entirely back to full strength, they had several players who could have been called up from Triple-A. Due to the versatility of Gavin Lux and Santiago Espinal, the Reds had the ability to call up any one of Marte, Will Benson, Jacob Hurtubise or anyone else in Triple-A (the Reds currently are actually short on true outfielders).

Marte got the call-up on April 17. But over his first three games back in the big leagues, he only made one start.

Then on Sunday, April 20, Marte had five hits and seven RBI in a blowout win over the Orioles. He has been in the lineup every day since then.

“He has earned everything he has got,” Francona said.

The day before that breakthrough moment in Baltimore, Marte was going through batting practice at the Camden Yards. He wasn't in the lineup that day and was taking some extra swings.

All year, Francona has wanted to see Marte stay through the ball more and hit it the other way. Reds assistant coach Mike Napoli recognized during that batting practice in Baltimore that Marte’s follow through was the key to making that happened.

When Marte has a high follow through, his back foot often slips and he pulls the ball. When his follow through is more level to his front shoulder, Marte gets the best results.

Napoli explained all of that to Marte behind the batting cage at home plate in Baltimore. Hitting coach Chris Valaika and president Nick Krall happened to be in the area, and they watched Napoli (a former All-Star and one of Francona’s favorite former players) help Marte work through this adjustment.

In a moment that’s what coaching is all about, Napoli simulated over-and-over again the right follow through for Marte. Then, Marte over exaggerated that follow through as he took a few dry swings to get that approach into his muscle memory.

Then on Sunday in Baltimore, Marte capped off his incredible day with a grand slam (off of a position player). To celebrate this adjustment clicking for Marte, Napoli marched around the dugout with his arms locked out to emulate the follow through that he worked on with Marte.

“You can tell (Marte) feels good about himself because he’s swinging hard,” Francona said. “He’s also not abandoning the right-center approach, which really keeps him balanced.”

It’s still early in the season, and pitchers will adjust to what they’re seeing from Marte. He also needs to make significant improvement on his throws from third base and play an overall more consistent game. Before Monday’s game, he went through an extensive set of drills with Reds’ coaches to refine his mechanics at third base.

He’s putting in the work to maximize his potential.

“I can’t be more excited about him,” Espinal said. “It’s been amazing to see what he’s doing, and he’s going to continue to do it. It’s a long season. It’s a tough season. There will be ups and downs. But as long as he stays balanced mentally like he is right now, he’s going to be good.”