MLB Rumors: Reds Call Up No. 1 Prospect Noelvi Marte; MLB's No. 24 Ranked Prospect

The Cincinnati Reds plan to call up shortstop Noelvi Marte, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

MLB.com ranks Marte as the top prospect in Cincinnati's farm system and the No. 24 overall prospect in baseball.

The 21-year-old has split his season across the Rookie League, Double-A and Triple-A levels. In 92 combined appearances, he's batting .279 with a .454 slugging percentage.

Passan noted how Marte's promotion is part of a wider trend with teams "trying to get young players major league experience while keeping them eligible to potentially earn the team draft-pick incentives through Rookie of the Year voting next season."

The St. Louis Cardinals called up Masyn Winn on Thursday, and the Los Angeles Angels brought first baseman Nolan Schanuel to the bigs only months after selecting him in the 2023 draft.

As much as Marte's arrival will generate excitement among Reds fans, getting him onto the field might be easier said than done.

The bounty of young infield depth within the organization has been on full display this year. Elly De La Cruz has been electrifying at times. Matt McLain is Cincinnati's best player right now. And Christian Encarnacion-Strand is slugging .444 in the month of August.

The Reds remain in the thick of the playoff race as well. At 64-59, they have a one-game cushion on the Chicago Cubs for the final wild-card place. Manager David Bell will have to balance getting Marte at-bats with putting his best lineup on the field.

Even if he fails to register much of an impact during the stretch run, Marte still symbolizes what is a bright future ahead for Cincinnati.