Reds’ Marte aims for more power in ’24
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.
When he got called up in August, Marte looked completely different. He had slimmed down, his sprint speed was elite and his biggest strengths were his polish and approach at the plate. 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 an interpreter. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that’s able to work the way I do.”
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.
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.”
And he contributed quite a bit. He started 21 games during the last month of the season and 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.”