Floundering Reds infielder turning the corner with impressive on-base streak

It's been a season that Noelvi Marte would just as soon forget. The Cincinnati Reds rookie began the year on the suspended list. Marte violated Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy and was suspended for the first 80 games of the 2024 season.

There was a lot of disappointment throughout the fanbase after hearing of this appalling situation during spring training. Marte was able to rehab during his time away, and the moment he was eligible to return to the big leagues, the Reds made the move. But unfortunately, Marte fell woefully short of expectations.

From his return in late-June through the end of August, Marte couldn't buy a base hit. After finishing the 2023 season with a 16-game hitting streak, Marte was hitting just .203/.238/.314 through his first 181 plate appearances. Worse yet, Marte's strikeout rate was 31.5% and his walk rate didn't even eclipse 3%. The 22-year-old looked completely out of sync, and a number of Reds fans (with good reason) were calling for Marte to be sent back to the minor leagues.

Reds rookie Noelvi Marte is turning the corner with impressive on-base streak

At the outset of September, Marte's playing time was cut back drastically. The rookie looked lost, both in the batters' box and at third base. But since September 8th, Marte seems to have somewhat turned the corner and is hitting much better.

During that time, Marte is riding a nine-game on-base streak with a .290/.371/.355 slash line and 103 wRC+ according to FanGraphs. While the strikeouts are still there, and unsightly, Marte's walk rate during that time is just above 11%.

There's really no way to defend Marte's actions during the offseason that resulted in his suspension. His absence, coupled with injuries to Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand really derailed any momentum the Reds had coming into what was supposed to be a turning point for the franchise.

If Marte can keep riding this hot-streak into the final game of the regular season and keep his nose clean this winter, he'll be back in line for a larger role with the Reds next season. It's far too early to give up on Marte, and his recent on-base streak lends credence to that idea.

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