Former Pembroke Hill Star Signs with the Reds
Published on June 26, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Kansas City Monarchs News Release
Kansas City, KS - It didn't take long for the talented KC native to return to affiliated ball as outfielder, Marcus Smith signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization on Friday morning.
Since coming back to his hometown, Smith has shined in a Monarchs uniform. He led the team in three separate categories including RBI's (26), sto len bases (10), and OBP (.409). The leadoff hitter was second on the team in batting average (.306) and homers with seven.
Smith talked about his time with the Monarchs and said, "We are all very thankful to Joe Calfapietra and the Kansas City Monarchs for the opportunity to go out there and play. This is what we all wanted to happen - Joe, myself, the Monarchs front office - we wanted to get an opportunity in affiliate baseball, and it happened very quickly. I want to extend my gratitude to everyone involved."
The Pembroke Hill star will go back to the MiLB since his release by the Frisco Roughriders in November 2025.
This is the second player Calfapietra has sent to the Reds this season with the first being Steffon Moore.
The skipper says, "As an organization, we are so excited for Marcus to get this opportunity with Cincinnati. He has worked extremely hard and is ready for the next journey in his baseball career."
Out of the 33 games he appeared in, there were only eight where he didn't collect a hit and totaled 11 multi-hit games. Smith also drove in three or more RBI games four separate times, including a seven RBI performance back on June 12th. He also tallied a six-game hit streak throughout the season.
When asked about what this means, Smith replied, "Just go out there and play - keep going, give it a chance."
With two players going back to the MiLB this season and with the recent MLB debut of Julian Garcia, the Monarchs continue a pipeline of players that return to affiliated ball. This organization continues to redirect talent back onto the path of their goal.
American Association Stories from June 26, 2026
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- Middle-Inning Surge Pushes Monarchs Past X's - Sioux City Explorers
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