Reds Pitching Prospect Named Southern League Pitcher of the Week

He was acquired in the Tyler Naquin trade alongside Hector Rodriguez.

Feb 18, 2025; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Acuna poses for a portrait during Media Day at the Cincinnati Reds Development Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In a great week of performances over the last week, Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Jose Acuna has been named Pitcher of the Week for Double-A in the Southern League.

Acuna Has Flashed Excellence This Season

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Acuna (83) walks between stations at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Cincinnati Enquirer-Imagn Images

For his performance last week, Acuna pitched six innings and allowed just two hits, struck out eight, and walked one. Over his last five starts, he has a 1.82 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 11 walks. Batters are hitting just .187 against him, and his ERA on the season is at 3.43.

Acuna was acquired alongside Reds' top-five prospect Hector Rodriguez at the trade deadline in 2022 from the Mets in the Tyler Naquin trade. The 23-year-old has a career 3.56 ERA and 1.18 WHIP and is taking a big leap this season in his development. He's leaving 72 1/2 percent of his runners on base and is getting guys to ground out at a 31 percent rate. He is striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings and his walks have dropped from 4.77 last season to 3.43 this season. He will be another young arm to keep an eye on with the Southern League's first half of the season wrapping up on Sunday. He will likely see a promotion to Triple-A sometime this season. If he keeps it up, the Reds will likely have both prospects that were acquired in that trade on the Major League roster in 2027.

Top Performers in Reds MiLB

Oregon outfielder Mason Neville (26) prepares to bat during the game against Oregon State on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. | Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mason Neville really struggled this season with the Low-A Daytona Tortugas. The 2025 fourth-round pick was sent down to the Arizona Complex League and has flourished since. He slashed .560/.700/1.063 with two home runs and seven RBI last week. He's striking out less than he was in Daytona and has drawn four walks during that span. Neville led college baseball in home runs during the 2025 season and fell to the fourth round due to his high strikeout rate. He has excellent power, and if he can cut down on his strikeout rate (43.3 percent in Low-A), he can be a legit middle-of-the-order hitter in the future.

Kein Vu had a great week for the High-A Dayton Dragons. He played in just four games last week, but collected a hit in each game, slashing .294/.368/.706 with two home runs. Vu caused havoc on the basepaths over the last few weeks, stealing 24 bases, including a walkoff steal of home. The 22-year-old was the Reds' ninth-round pick in the 2025 draft. He played just 23 games in Low-A before debuting this season in High-A.

Eider Gutierrez collected five hits last week, slashing .310/.390/.560 with a double and a home run. The 17-year-old is in his first season in the Dominican Summer League with the DSL Rojos. On the season, he’s slashing .359/.500/.641 with three home runs, two doubles, 12 RBI, two stolen bases, and has eight walks with six strikeouts. He plays all three outfield positions and has yet to make an error this season, with three outfield assists.