Truth be instructed, these are darkish days for former Mariners super-prospects. Jarred Kelenic could also be on the verge of crashing out of affiliated ball, and now Noelvi Marte is out of an on a regular basis job in Cincinnati.
As our friends over at Blog Red Machine lined, the strategy the Reds have taken to Marte’s taking part in time this season doesn’t exactly set him up for success. The righty swinger is in a proper area platoon with the lefty swinging Will Benson, and that is despite the fact that Marte solely has a .566 OPS in opposition to lefties for his profession.
At a sure level, although, it’s on Marte to earn his hold by making the most of what alternatives he does get. And to this finish, his 3-for-20 exhibiting this yr is merely the most recent variation on a theme. Through 747 main league plate appearances, he is a .251 hitter with a .685 OPS.
Noelvi Marte is again to letting the Reds down 4 years after Luis Castillo trade
Four years in the past, Marte’s inclusion within the trade that despatched Luis Castillo to Seattle is what made the deal a big danger for the Mariners. He had begun that yr as MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 prospect, and the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect behind the eventual AL Rookie of the Year, Julio Rodríguez.
Marte had a promising debut in 2023, however set himself again with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing medicine the next March. He appeared on the verge of turning things around last May, although, and he was even hitting .300 with an .856 OPS as late as August 24.
Since then? He’s a .187 hitter with 49 strikeouts and simply eight walks over 37 video games.
It’s true that diminished taking part in time this yr is not doing him any favors, however it’s additionally not as if his alleged breakout final yr portended even higher issues to come. His under-the-hood metrics had been largely “meh.”
Given all this, there truly is ample reason for Reds fans to panic about Marte regardless of the small pattern dimension. And since he has two minor league choices left, the most effective factor for him may be a visit to Triple-A Louisville for normal at-bats.
For the Mariners’ half, that is to say that the Castillo trade is again to trying firmly within the win column for Jerry Dipoto and firm. He’s 33 years outdated now and now not the staff’s ace, but he was precisely that by not less than the tip of the 2023 season, and he stays a dependable supply of innings — and do not look now, however his common fastball velocity is up over final April.
Marte continues to be solely 24 years outdated, so it is manner too quickly to write him off as a possible influence participant in MLB. But at this level, you actually do surprise if it is ever going to be in Cincinnati.
