Cincinnati Reds' Hottest Hitting Prospect Making Waves in Minor Leagues

The Cincinnati Reds have done a good job of developing a few top hitters over the last few seasons, led by the young duo of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. These two have been the best position players in Cincinnati all season.

The next top position player prospect to come up through Cincinnati's farm system is Edwin Arroyo, who received his call to the big leagues earlier this season when De LA Cruz went to the injured list with a hamstring injury. This crop of talent is very exciting for Reds fans, but there's plenty more where that came from.

Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com recently put together a list of each MLB team's hottest hitting prospect. For the Reds, after calling up Edwin Arroyo, their hottest hitting prospect if their top prospect, Alfredo Duno.

"The Reds’ top prospect, and the No. 2 catching prospect in baseball, didn’t hit like it over the first month of the season," they wrote. "But after the 20-year-old backstop had just a .709 OPS in his first month in the High-A Midwest League, he got locked in. In 22 May contests, Duno hit .338/.475/.713 with eight homers. He’s now tied for second in the Midwest League with 11 home runs and he’s top 10 in SLG (.550) and OPS (.970)."

Alfredo Duno Already Looks Like a Future Star

Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Alfredo Duno during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Duno has the potential to be the next star hitter for the Reds. He's a big catching prospect with the potential to stick behind the dish when he makes his way up to Cincinnati.

Right now, Duno is dominating High-A with a slash line of .253/.381/.500 on the season. Across 50 games, he's hit 12 home runs and 10 doubles. The 20-year-old catcher is on pace to shatter his single-season best in home runs, which is 18 homers from last season.

Duno has plus power, but he doesn't sacrifice his batting average to tap into that power.

The star-catching prospect has an elite walk rate and an even better pull air percentage. Pull air percentage has a direct correlation to home run potential, which is a great sign for the future of the Reds.

With questions surrounding Tyler Stephenson's future in Cincinnati, Duno is a huge bright spot in the farm system.

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.

Add us as a preferred source on Google