The Cincinnati Reds have made it clear they are building around their young core, and they’ve never lost sight of Noelvi Marte being a key piece of that future. Just turning 24 years old, Marte represents the kind of player development payoff the Reds have been waiting for. The problem? Marte’s 2025 campaign revealed a weakness so glaring it threatens to undo some of that progress if he doesn’t address it before the 2026 season.
The Reds know they’ll only go as far as their young hitters take them. With Elly De La Cruz drawing national attention and Sal Stewart beginning to push for more at-bats, Marte’s development is critical in keeping the Reds competitive in a tightening NL Central.