The Cincinnati Reds have had a rough stretch after a fast start in March and April, but the organization still has plenty to point to when it comes to young talent. Elly De La Cruz has been one of the best players in the league this season, sitting among the small group of players with a WAR above 6.0.
He’s on track for a 30-homer, 30-steal season if he finishes strong. Sal Stewart is also trending toward the National League Rookie of the Year award, with well over 100 RBIs already, and Chase Burns has joined the conversation as one of the game’s best young pitchers.
Beyond the big-league roster, the Reds have another name pushing his way into the spotlight: catcher prospect Alfredo Duno.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter gave Duno major praise and even named him the Reds’ minor league player of the year. Reuter wrote, "Duno looks the part of a future franchise catcher, with an advanced hit tool, plus raw power, strong defensive skills and the intangibles needed to anchor a pitching staff," Reuter wrote. "With a .322/.406/.488 line and 13 extra-base hits in 32 games since he was promoted to Double-A, the 20-year-old might be ready to push for the starting job in the majors by 2028."
That kind of profile is exactly why Duno sits at the top of the Reds’ prospect list. He offers the rare mix of offense and value at catcher, a position where a bat like his can change the shape of a lineup. A catcher who can hit in the middle of the order carries real weight, and Duno’s offensive upside makes him stand out even more.
His 2025 season has backed that up. Across High-A and Double-A, Duno has hit .281/.395/.504 with 19 home runs, a triple, 22 doubles and 61 RBI.
Since moving up to Double-A, he has looked even sharper as a bat-to-ball hitter, while keeping his OPS near .900. The power in his bat jumps off the page, and if he keeps taking steps forward as he climbs the system, he could be in Cincinnati next year.
In Other News...
Barry Larkin Just Said What Frustrated Reds Fans Keep Feeling
Barry Larkin did not sugarcoat where the Reds stand right now. The Hall of Famer said Cincinnati is well behind the better teams headed toward the postseason, a blunt assessment that lands with extra weight for a fan base that has spent most of the last three decades waiting for meaningful October baseball. The Reds have missed the postseason in 26 of the last 31 seasons, and the drought has stretched so long that their last postseason win came in 2012.
For a club that has been trying to climb back into relevance, that kind of gap only sharpens the pressure on the people running it. There is already speculation that Nick Krall could return in an executive role, even though the teams postseason results under his tenure have been limited, and Larkins remarks only add to the sense that something has to give before the franchise can finally move from hopeful to dependable. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Roster Shakeup Just Put Two Cincinnati Futures In Doubt
Chase Burns breakout rookie season hit an abrupt stop when the Reds placed the All-Star pitcher on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain, officially ending his year. In the same roster move, Cincinnati brought up Carson Spiers from Triple-A Louisville and cleared a place for him on the 40-man roster by designating outfielder TJ Friedl for assignment, a procedural step that can carry major consequences even when it is done to solve an immediate pitching need.
For the Reds, the timing makes the whole transaction feel bigger than a simple injury replacement. Burns was part of the clubs present and future on the mound, and Spiers now gets a chance to step into that opening, but Friedls status is the one to watch next because the assignment gives other clubs a chance to claim him off waivers. What looked like a straightforward answer to one roster problem may end up creating another question about how much of Cincinnatis future core is actually staying put. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Have Chosen Who Pays For This Disappointing Season
The Reds have made their first significant call of the winter, and it points toward continuity at the top of the baseball operation. Nick Krall is staying on as president of baseball operations despite a season that left plenty of fans frustrated, with the club struggling badly on both sides of the ball and again coming up short in the kinds of spots that decide games.
Now the focus shifts to where the changes might actually land. Cincinnatis offensive issues were not limited to a cold stretch or two, and the pitching group never fully solved its development problems, which puts Chris Valaika and Derek Johnson squarely in the conversation as the organization looks for answers. If the Reds are going to turn this around, the next move may be less about who remains in charge and more about which coaches are asked to carry the blame. [Read more 🡒]