Cincinnati Reds Top Prospect Shines In High-A Debut

Alfredo Duno made his High-A debut on Thursday night with the Dayton Dragons and looked the part.

He's the Real Deal

In the first inning, Duno walked on four consecutive pitches after a double from Carlos Sanchez. Ryan McCrystal followed that up with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. 

In his second at-bat, Duno flied out to center field after just missing a pitch in the heart of the zone. In the sixth inning, Duno doubled on a line drive to left field on the first pitch of the at-bat, his first hit at the High-A level. He was stranded at second base. In the seventh inning, Duno got an opportunity to hit with the bases loaded. He ripped another double in the left-center field gap to clear the bases and cut the Lansing lead to just one. He popped out to the first baseman in his final at-bat on the first pitch, a pitch right down the middle. He performed admirably behind the plate on Thursday night, although he did not get an opportunity to throw any runners out.

The Reds' current number-two prospect won the Florida State League Most Valuable Player Award last season in Single-A Daytona. He led the league in eight main offensive categories, including home runs and on-base percentage. He is going to be a must-watch for fans in Cincinnati who can get to Dayton to see a Dragons game.

More High-A Debuts

Duno was not the only prospect making their High-A debut on Thursday. Kien Vu, Alfredo Alcántara, and Cole Schoenwetter each debuted. 

Kien Vu went 1-4 with a run scored. He ripped a double in the top of the eighth inning. He also reached base on a hit-by-pitch and scored a run in the seventh. Vu was drafted in the ninth round in last year's draft and played just 23 games in Daytona. 

Alfredo Alcantara's debut was impressive as well. He went 2-5 with an RBI and a double. Alcantara played in both the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Daytona last season. He slashed .295/.442/.457 between both levels with eight home runs, 17 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. The 20-year-old played in just 38 games in Daytona last season.

Shoenwetter pitched three innings in his debut, allowing two earned runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. The 21-year-old was selected in the fourth round in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school. In Daytona last season, he was 2-8 with a 5.86 ERA and a .227 batting average against him. His main issue last season was walks. He walked 60 batters in 78 1/3 innings. If he can gain command of his pitches, the 6'3" right-hander has the potential to be a back-end rotational piece in the future.

On Deck

The Dragons play again on Friday night. Nestor Lorant makes his season debut. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. It was reported during today’s radio broadcast that there has been improvement in his velocity over the offseason. Lorant typically tops out in the low-90s, averaging between 88-92 miles per hour. Last season was his worst season of his career. He went 2-10 with a 5.79 ERA and a .294 batting average against him. He has good command over his secondary pitches; an improvement in velocity could be huge in his development.