Cincinatti Reds right fielder Noelvi Marte moved from infield to outfield in 2025, and the results were as good as the team could've asked for. The 24-year-old had no errors and a 1.000 fielding percentage across 54 games in right field compared to five errors and a .936 fielding percentage over 38 games at third base. He also had two flawless games in center.

Now, Marte is poised to be the Reds' full-time right fielder in 2026, as manager Terry Francona mentioned during MLB's Winter Meetings in December, via MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

"We've been pretty clear we want Marte to play," he said. "We all think he's going to be a pretty good right fielder. TJ [Friedl] is fine in center. And then what we do in left [field], I think, is kind of to be determined. … We just need to see how things play out."

The Reds acquired Marte from the Seattle Mariners in July 2022 and he made his MLB debut in 2023. The 6-foot-2, 216-pounder was exclusively an infielder/designated hitter before 2025. 

Noelvi Marte Shows Promise on Both Sides of Ball

Cincinnati stuck Noelvi in right field in July following his defensive struggles at third, and Francona appreciated the results, per Sheldon.

“From the get-go, I thought he looked really comfortable out there. I do think the more things that get thrown at him will help," he said in August. "He has all the tools and it just seems like this is a really good fit for him.”

Marte also said that he feels less pressure in the outfield than the infield.

"The pressure is going down. Because when you’re in the infield, you have to be attentive to everything in all the anticipation of the plays," he said. "I’ve got to grab the ball, step and throw or get it and cut the ball and play for the double play. So there’s a bunch of stuff that you have to do, pre-setting in the infield. When you’re in the outfield, you have to just catch the ball.”

Marte discovering where he fits best at the big-league level is the best-case scenario for a young player. The native Dominican tried different positions, played through mistakes, and now knows how he can best help his team.

Additionally, Marte was productive offensively last season. He notched a .748 OPS with 14 homers, 51 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases over a career-high 90 games.

If Marte takes another step forward in 2026, he'll be one of the organization's most exciting players besides star shortstop Elly De La Cruz.