Reds 24-Year-Old Outfielder Already on Verge of Breakout Year in 2026

The Cincinnati Reds have a lot to be excited about this season, aside from Hunter Greene's crushing injury that's going to keep him out until July.

Elly De La Cruz is one of the most electric players in baseball. He has the potential to quickly turn into a 30 home run, 50 stolen base player if he can remain healthy all season.

The Reds' pitching staff is loaded with talent, even without Greene. Pitchers like Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Chase Burns are looking to take big steps forward this year.

The Reds went out and landed Eugenio Suárez to bolster their offense late in the offseason, too. And he's surrounded by inspiring young talent.

Just Baseball's Jordan Leandre recently listed Reds infielder-turned-outfielder Noelvi Marte as one of the National League's breakout players to watch this season.

Noelvi Marte is the perfect breakout candidate to watch this year

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Mart — Cincinnati Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte (16) leaps to rob a home run over the wall from Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) in the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. The Reds won, 2-1. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Marte is a name we’ve been hearing for a long time, pre-dating his time in Cincinnati, before being traded for All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo," Leandre wrote. "Through 191 career games, the right-handed hitter has a .254/.294/.400 slash line with an 86 wRC+ and 21 home runs. He’s also struggled to find a defensive home between individual struggles paired with a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

"Even though he struggled down the stretch in 2025, there’s a lot to like about Marte as a hitter. For starters, he saw a massive uptick in pull-air rate last season. After hovering around 13% his first two seasons, he upped it to 17.6% last year. That accompanied a fairly league-average barrel and expected slugging profile. While his defense is a work-in-progress, he has a cannon for an arm, ranking in the 92nd percentile for arm strength in 2025."

At every level of baseball, Marte has hit, and he's hit very well. In a short stint in 2023, he looked incredible. As he was gearing up for the 2024 season, he failed a drug test and was suspended for half the year. When he returned, his game didn't look the same.

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Marte began the year in the minor leagues last season, but he quickly proved he was too talented to be at that level. As he got his footing back in the big leagues, he began to excel again, so much so that the Reds moved him from the infield to the outfield in order to find a spot in the lineup for him.

Marte is now shaping up to be the everyday right fielder for the Reds. Last season, he posted a 1.4 WAR with a .748 OPS. If he can find consistent playing time and take another jump in development, he could be the Reds' next 25-home-run player. His on-base percentage likely isn't going to be anything crazy because of his inability to work counts and draw walks, but if he can post an OPS around .800 or higher, it won't matter too much.

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