Noelvi Marte’s rise is proof Reds fans shouldn’t give up on these struggling players

Cincinnati Reds fans have been waiting for Noelvi Marte to arrive in full force, and the wait is finally paying off. The 23-year-old third baseman has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks, stepping up as one of the Reds’ most reliable bats during the stretch run of the Wild Card race.

His emergence hasn’t just been about numbers. Marte has also won respect across the league for his willingness to adapt, shifting to the outfield when asked so the Reds’ coaching staff could get the most out of their lineup.

For a player once viewed as a question mark, this version of Marte feels like vindication. His career to this point has been anything but smooth, from the cloud of an 80-game PED suspension in 2024 to the frustrating inconsistency that saw him bounce back and forth between the minors and majors.

But the tide has turned. Since July 1, Marte has slashed .303/.335/.520 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs; a breakout stretch that has him looking every bit like the impact hitter Cincinnati envisioned when he was acquired in the blockbuster Luis Castillo trade.

Noelvi Marte’s resurgence is a lesson in patience for Reds’ young core

Marte’s story serves as a reminder of what patience can mean with young talent. Development in Major League Baseball is rarely linear, and the Reds have two more prime examples of players worth sticking with: Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Encarnacion-Strand (CES) has been a glaring disappointment this year, his early struggles barely kept him above the Mendoza Line, and eventually found himself back to Triple-A to find his swing. McLain, meanwhile, remains in the lineup but is barely treading water, hitting .221/.300/.331 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 2025 while posting a -0.1 WAR. The glove still plays, but the bat hasn’t bounced back the way many hoped after he missed all of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery.

Even so, Reds fans shouldn’t be so quick to give up on either. McLain’s 2023 rookie breakout; when he looked like one of the brightest young infielders in the National League still matters. And Encarnacion-Strand’s ability to crush Triple-A pitching suggests the tools remain intact; it’s simply a matter of whether they can translate consistently against big-league arms.

If Marte’s resurgence proves anything, it’s that the payoff is worth the wait. Sometimes a player just needs time to grow into the moment, to shake off the scars of failure, and to prove that the talent that once had fans buzzing is still alive and well. Marte is showing that firsthand. Now, the question is whether McLain and CES can follow his lead. If they do, Cincinnati’s future suddenly looks a whole lot brighter.

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