Cincinnati Reds Catching Depth Is Finally Becoming an Organizational Strength

A good sign.

Apr 11, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of an official Cincinnati Reds hat on the dugout steps during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds have a nice crop of catchers in their farm system, with two currently ranked inside their top-30 and two more that could possibly make the list soon.

Jirvin Morillo Has Been Excellent In The Arizona Complex League

Cincinnati Reds coaches run fielding drills with pitchers and infielders during spring training workouts, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at the team s spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Reds signed Morillo during the 2024 international signing period in January. He's a plus-switching-hitting bat with power and provides average defense currently. This season, in his debut season in the Arizona Complex League, he's slashing .314/.452/.622 with nine home runs, 11 doubles, five triples, 40 RBI, and is walking nearly as much as he's striking out. 

On Monday, Baseball America had him listed as the hottest prospect over the last week of play. He slashed .533/.667/1.400 with five runs scored, two doubles, a triple, three home runs, and eight RBI. The 19-year-old is currently the Reds' 20th-ranked prospect and is climbing. 

"Morillo is a switch-hitting catcher who will play all of his 2026 season in the United States at age 19." MLB Pipeline wrote about Morillo. "His bat is definitely ahead of his glove, with an advanced approach that led to more walks than strikeouts over two summers in the DSL and helped him hold his own against older competition in the Australian League this offseason. The Reds love the intangibles and leadership qualities he possesses, including improving his English and showing up in Arizona early to get to work for the season ahead."

Duno And Morillo Lead Improving Organizational Catching Depth

Jul 12, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; National League catcher Alfredo Duno (16) reacts after flying out against American League in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Reds' number-one overall prospect is Alfredo Duno. Morillo is not far behind at 20. Two more catchers that are fringe top-30 prospects are Jacob Friend and Ryan McCrystal. Friend was the Reds' sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Davidson College and is having a great season. While he has struggled since being promoted to High-A Dayton, he slashed .307/.433/.587 with nine home runs, 11 doubles, and eight stolen bases in Low-A. He also provides defensive flexibility, being able to play all three outfield positions, first base, as well as catcher.

In a recent interview with Friend on the Red Hot Reds Podcast, he told us he had a goal of hitting 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases. As of July 13, he has 18 doubles, 15 home runs, and 18 stolen bases. That looks like a goal he should hit before the season ends.

McCrystal has been consistent since debuting in the organization. He was also drafted in 2024, a ninth-round pick out of East Carolina. Currently in his part of his third season, he's slashing .281/.347/.406 with seven home runs, 98 RBI, 20 doubles, and a triple for his career. He reached Double-A this season, but was ultimately sent back to High-A for Duno to play every day with Chattanooga, giving McCrystal the opportunity to resume playing every day at catcher with Dayton. 

McCrystal can also play first base, giving the organization defensive flexibility. Grounded in his faith, the 23-year-old is a role model to his brother, who has special needs. As a father of a child with special needs, I admire how much his brother means to him.

"I have a brother who means the world to me." McCrystal said. "He's got special needs, and so one of his fixations is my baseball career and just watching me play. It was really cool to be an hour and a half away from him. And so he was always there, rallying up the crowd. I mean, he was more famous than me in the town of Greenville for my first two years of school before my junior year. So it was really, really cool being able to play close to home and just play at a great program like that.”

Over the past 15 years or so, the Reds have struggled with drafting and developing catching depth. Some notable catchers to come through the organization include Devin Mesoraco, Tucker Barnhart, and Tyler Stephenson. More often than not, catchers coming through the organization have failed to reach the big league level. That looks to be changing in the coming years if they continue to progress as these players have recently.