Catcher Alfredo Duno, ranked seventh among the Cincinnati Reds' top prospects by MLB Pipeline, had a big game Saturday for the Low-A Daytona Tortugas.
Duno had a two-run double in the 5th inning, and added a solo home run in the 7th in Daytona's 7-3 win against the Bradenton Marauders.
Duno, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, played in 32 games last season for the Tortugas.
A right-handed hitter, Duno is known for impressive power and a big arm.
What to know about Duno:
Duno was considered the top player of the Reds' 2023 international signing class.
Duno was 17 years old and already 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds when the Reds signed him.
He was rated by MLB.com as the fourth-best player signed during the 2023 international signing period. Duno's signing bonus was $3.1 million.
"One of the best catchers I've seen come out of Latin America," Reds director of international scouting Trey Hendricks said in 2023. "He's getting a lot of notoriety from different baseball publications and for good reason. He's a really talented kid. … The work ethic has never been a question mark for us. This kid is obviously very physically gifted, but he also doesn’t take that for granted. He's one of the hardest workers when we have our camps."
Duno's 2024 season was cut short by a season-ending rib injury.
Duno suffered a broken rib last May. He batted .267 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 139 plate appearances before the injury.
In the Dominican Summer League in 2023, Duno batted .303 with six homers and 41 RBIs in 195 plate appearances, with 38 walks and 41 strikeouts. He added six stolen bases, with an OPS of .945. He didn't catch because of an elbow issue, instead handling DH duties.
It was an impressive enough debut that Duno went straight to Daytona, bypassing the Reds' Arizona Complex League.
Duno is the only catcher among MLB Pipeline's top 30 Reds prospects.
MLB Pipeline considers 2028 to be Duno's MLB ETA, but with no catchers ahead of him in the Reds' system, Duno could arrive sooner if he stays healthy.
The only other current Tortuga among the Reds' top 10 prospects is 20-year-old shortstop Sammy Stafura.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Alfredo Duno, Reds' top catching prospect, lifts Daytona to win
