In just his second game since being acquired by the Cincinnati Reds as part of the mega-trade that brought Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners, Dominican prospect Noelvi Marte is already proving his mettle after slamming in a pair of home runs and driving in four runs. in Class-A Dayton’s win over Peoria on Wednesday.
“He’s a strong, athletic guy who has a lot of confidence,” Dragons manager Bryan LaHair said of Marte. “He has already started showing leadership traits in the dugout. He is very vocal and encourages his teammates. He makes all the routine plays on defense. He is a great athlete and I can’t wait to continue working with him.”
The now best prospect of the Reds comes from playing 86 games in Class-A Everett, in the organization of the Mariners, where he had a line of averages of .275/.363/.462 with 15 homers, 13 doubles, 42 walks , 13 stolen bases, 62 runs scored and 55 RBIs. Additionally, he had a .918 fielding percentage.
After going 0-for-4 in his Dragons debut the night before, the 20-year-old hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game. Then, in the eighth frame, baseball’s 17th prospect showed his strength again, with his second two-run homer of the night.
“Her presence in the lineup gives us dynamism,” LaHair said. “Obviously, he’s a guy with power and good instincts.”