Reds Let Alfredo Duno Dictate His Pace Behind The Plate
When the Reds signed Venezuelan catcher Alfredo Duno in January 2023, they were excited about what he could do at the plate.
What he didn’t do in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League was catch.
An elbow issue limited him to DH work exclusively in 2023, when he hit .303/.451/.493 with six home runs in 45 games. He drew 38 walks against 41 strikeouts.
Despite Duno’s lack of professional experience behind the plate, the Reds aggressively assigned him to Low-A Daytona to start 2024.
“We wanted to remain open-minded and let Alfredo show us or dictate where he was at, in terms of being behind the plate (and) learning how to call a game—just handling everything that comes with being a professional,’ Reds senior director of player development Jeremy Farrell said.
“We met several times and had a lot of discussions over spring training and felt comfortable with the maturity that he showed in all aspects of his game.”
Duno showed off impressive arm strength early in the season. He threw out 35% of basestealers through his first 13 games behind the plate.
The catcher has really stood out at the plate, though. One of just a dozen 18-year-olds in full-season ball, Duno’s numbers stood out in the run-stifling Florida State League. He hit .264/.333/.491 with two homers in 14 games in April.
“You look at him and he’s a physical kid,” Farrell said. “He has the ability to hit for power to all fields, even as an 18-year-old.”
Duno’s all-fields power stands out. Fewer than half of his extra-base hits were hit to his pull side.
While it’s still early in the season, Duno was showing the big potential that marked him as one of the top international prospects who signed in 2023.
