Struggling Reds Outfielder Finally Showing Signs of Life in Triple-A

The Cincinnati Reds have seen Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suárez, and Elly De La Cruz produce in a big way at the plate this season. Namely, it's been De La Cruz and Stewart who have carried the load for the Reds. Both have been incredible, and they both rank near the top of the league in a slew of offensive categories.

But they haven't seen many other big producers.

In fact, the Reds have seen a slew of their talented young players struggle this season. Outfielder Noelvi Marte struggled for the first few weeks of the year before he was sent down to Triple-A to make room for Rece Hinds on the big league roster. Hinds has slowly picked up steam, though he's not producing much at this point.

Down in Triple-A, Marte is beginning to show signs of life.

Noelvi Marte Finally Showing Signs of Life in Triple-A

Mar 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte (4) runs the bases on a single hit by third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (not pictured) in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Marte has been in Triple-A for seven games, and he has a hit in every single one of them. That comes after recording four hits in 29 at-bats at the big league level this season. Marte hit a double in his first game with the Louisville Bats. He clubbed a triple a few days later. On April 19, he added another double.

On Tuesday night, Marte added a home run as he began showing signs of life. Less than 24 hours later, he clubbed another one, which brought his batting average up to .333 and his OPS up to over 1.100.

Noelvi Marte Needs to Continue Making Better Swing Decisions

Marte has all the tools to be a star in the big leagues. He's one of the fastest players in the Reds organization. He has the raw power to be a slugger in Cincinnati. As shocking as it might sound, his bat-to-ball skills aren't bad either.

But he makes very bad swing decisions. His chase rate is incredibly high in the big leagues, though it's improved in Triple-A. This could be Marte making a conscious decision to be smarter at the plate. It could also be the drop-off in the caliber of pitching at the Triple-A level.

Either way, Marte has looked good at Triple-A. His zone contact rate is near 90 percent, which is elite. He's still chasing around 30 percent of the time, but that's much better than his chase rate near 50 percent in the big leagues this season.

Marte needs to keep working on his decisions at the plate. If these improve, he could be back in Cincinnati before the All-Star break.

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