Noelvi Marte

Marte has been a top-75 prospect for over two years and is likely another two years away from the majors, but he has been a steady riser this whole time. He has elite pedigree and a tantalizing combination of plus power and plus speed, and he has yet to struggle significantly in pro ball. Marte is far from a lock to stick at shortstop long term, but his dynasty stock wouldn't be negatively affected if he had to move to third base. The big thing to watch with Marte is the development of his hit tool. He has been young for every level he has played at, but it's worth noting that his K% jumped from 22.2% at Low-A to 33.3% in a tiny sample (33 PA) at High-A. His ability to hit for impact power (17 HR in 107 games) as a teenager in full-season ball is a rare accomplishment, especially considering it came with 24 steals (on 31 attempts) and a .273 average. Marte will head back to High-A at the outset of 2022 and could get a midseason bump to Double-A. This will be a very telling age-20 season for the high-upside infielder. He could finish the year as the No. 1 overall prospect in dynasty, but he could also show some warts that lower-level pitchers had been unable to expose.

One of the youngest players to get an invite to his team's alternate training site, Marte understandably went through some growing pains. He went from facing raw teenage pitchers in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 to facing pitchers with big-league experience as an 18-year-old. Once fall instructs began, however, Marte was playing against age-appropriate competition and his play improved drastically. He cut down on his strikeouts and started hitting the ball out of the park with triple-digit exit velocities. He has plus speed and projects for at least plus power. The Mariners are developing him as a shortstop, but considering he is already roughly 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, the hot corner may be his best long-term fit. At 19, and after having been thrown in the deep end this past summer, he could be assigned to High-A and could even reach Double-A this season.

Marte has top-five prospect upside, and this will be the last offseason to acquire him in dynasty leagues for a palatable price. He is on the Julio Rodriguez path -- a high-profile international signee ($1.55 million in 2018) who destroyed the Dominican Summer League (.309/.371/.511, nine HR, 17 SB in 65 games) and will be given an aggressive assignment for his stateside debut. He doesn't have as good of an approach as Rodriguez did at the same age, but Marte is a five-tool shortstop with at least 60-grade speed. He needs to work on using the whole field (23.4 Oppo%), but his 40.7 FB% is encouraging for a player who could develop 30-plus homer power. An 18-year-old who is already 6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Marte may have to move to third base, but his bat should profile anywhere. If he is as good as advertised, he should spend a good chunk of the year at Low-A, and if he hits there, his stock will explode.

In every July 2 international signing period, there are a few top players who already project as prospects who will be better in fantasy than reality. Marte, who signed for $1.55 million out of the Dominican Republic, is a prime example from the 2018 crop. He showcases a classic power-hitting swing from the right side, and may have as much home run and batting average upside as any international prospect in his class. Marte has the actions and a good enough arm for shortstop, but may eventually move to third base. He currently measures in at 6-foot-1, 181 pounds, but looks like he will add at least another 20-to-30 pounds in the coming years, so maintaining good eating habits and conditioning will be crucial if he is to reach his ceiling and not fall down the defensive spectrum. While he is a good runner now, that won't be a big part of his game by the time he reaches the majors in five or six years.