Alfredo Duno

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #2 prospect in 2026
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Adjusted Grade: 45
  
  Track Record: The key signing in the Reds’ 2023 international class, Duno had been limited to DH in 2023 because of a sore arm, and he barely played in 2024 because of a rib injury. Fully healthy in 2025, Duno was the star of the Florida State League. He finished second in the league with a .287 batting average and first in home runs (18), doubles (32), on-base percentage (.430) and slugging (.518). He then played in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Few young hitters come close to Duno’s advanced understanding of the strike zone. His career .425 OBP ranks fourth-best among active minor league hitters with at least 750 plate appearances. He will not swing at pitches out of the zone, which made him many Low-A pitchers’ kryptonite. That approach will be more tested at higher levels, and Duno will have to make adjustments. He has a pull-heavy approach and struggles to cover the outer third of the plate. He was especially vulnerable to velocity away, with a 52% swing-and-miss rate on fastballs on the outer third of the strike zone. Duno’s long levers and modest bat-to-ball skills mean that he is unlikely to hit for average against better pitchers, but he could make up for it by drawing walks, and his exceptional power could get him to 25 home runs regularly. Duno moves well for his 6-foot-3, 248-pound size. He’s a below-average runner but not a base clogger. Defensively, he’s a fringe-average receiver and pitch-framer. He has a plus arm and posts plus pop times at his best, but he sometimes struggles with slow exchanges as he unfurls his body.
  
  The Future: Duno can likely stay behind the plate at his size, but not if he gets much bigger. Just 10 catchers in MLB history have caught at least 500 games while weighing 245 pounds or more, though AJ Pierzynski and Salvador Perez show it can be done. Duno will need to stay on top of his conditioning. His combination of power, plate discipline and fringe-average defense projects as a useful MLB catcher/first base/DH whose bat keeps him in the lineup. If he can make further defensive improvements as a receiver, his offensive upside would make him a potential star as a full-time MLB catcher.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60.
• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #4 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Extreme.
  
  Track Record: Two years into Duno’s pro career, the Reds are still waiting to see what he can do when fully healthy. He couldn’t catch in 2023 as he dealt with arm soreness in the Dominican Summer League. His 2024 season at Low-A Daytona ended in late May when he broke a rib. He spent the rest of the season on the 60-day injured list. Duno was able to catch 21 games in 2024 and was a part of the Reds’ spring breakout team in spring training, but his development has been slowed by missed time.
  
  Scouting Report: Duno is one of the larger and more powerful catchers in pro ball. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. He has a powerful, already thick trunk and lower half. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and hits the ball exceptionally hard for a teenager. When he connects, great things happen. Duno has an advanced idea of the strike zone, but there’s length to his swing with a large load and leverage. In 2024, pitchers could beat him in the strike zone with quality stuff, even if they struggled to get him to chase. He’ll likely always have his share of strikeouts, but he has 30-plus home run potential to go with it. Duno has an exceptionally strong arm, but he needs to speed up his transfer to take the best advantage of it. He posts plus pop times on throws to second base right now. He moves well for a big catcher, and he has the ingredients to be a solid receiver. He works well with pitchers and his ability to speak both Spanish and English is beneficial.
  
  The Future: Duno is expected to return to Low-A Daytona, though a strong offseason of work could help him get to High-A Dayton before long. He has all-star potential if it all clicks, but that will require him to take steps defensively and tweak his swing to make more consistent contact.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 65 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60.
• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #9 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Venezuela’s Ethan Salas was viewed as the top catcher in the 2023 international class, a status he quickly reinforced with an exceptional pro debut for the Padres that saw him reach Double-A as a 17-year-old. Duno, also a Venezuelan, was the second-best catching prospect in the class. Duno is on a more traditional timetable, but he also has a shot to be a long-term major league regular. Duno told the Reds his arm felt sore in the work up to the start of the Dominican Summer League season. Exams found no structural damage, but when the soreness remained, the Reds decided to have him DH exclusively while participating in all catcher’s drills except for throwing.
  
  Scouting Report: Duno is an excellent athlete for an already filled-out teenage catcher with a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. He’s a fringe-average runner for now and swiped six bags in six attempts in the DSL, though catching will likely sap that speed eventually. Offensively, Duno’s combination of excellent bat speed, plus raw power and solid swing decisions gives him a chance to develop into a 20-plus home run hitter with an average hit tool. His bat should play at multiple positions, but he has the mindset and tools to stick behind the plate. Defensively, Duno has the tools to be at least an above-average receiver and blocker with soft hands. While his arm soreness kept the Reds from seeing it in 2023, he’s shown a plus to plus-plus arm in the past.
  
  The Future: Duno should get to go back behind the plate in 2024, when he’ll head to the U.S. to play in the Arizona Complex League. He’s the Reds’ best young catching prospect since the organization drafted Tyler Stephenson in 2015.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #14 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Duno is one of the most promising players in the 2023 international class as a well-rounded catcher who has a shot to produce both offensively and defensively. Unlike most 16-year-olds, there's not a lot of projection with Duno. He's already built like a big league catcher, as a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder.
  
  Scouting Report: Duno's array of future outcomes spans the gamut from becoming a glove-first catcher to other paths where he becomes a plus-plus power slugger who eventually also plays other positions. Duno has a plus arm already and it could end up as a plus-plus arm, and he has worked on his mechanics to have a quick exchange. He also has soft hands and moves well behind the plate despite his size. He's big for a catcher, but he shows the lateral movement to stick behind the plate. Offensively, he's got plenty of bat speed and plus present raw power that could end up being plus-plus as he matures. His ability to get to that power potential will be dependent on how quickly he can refine his swing, as sometimes his lower half and upper half aren't always in sync, but he shows solid barrel control as well and good hand-eye coordination. Duno is an average runner for now, but like most catchers, he can be expected to slow down as the wear and tear of catching takes its toll.
  
  The Future: Duno is yet another example of the Reds' recent shift to international signees with excellent present baseball skills to go with solid tools. Duno is a relatively polished player for his age, but in his case, he's also one with rare athleticism for his size. He'll get to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later in 2023. It would not be a surprise if he was one ofthe Reds top 10 prospects before too long.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 55. Field: 50. Run: 45. Arm: 60.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #60 prospect in 2025
• Ranked Baseball America's #72 prospect in 2024

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Duno is one of the most promising players in the 2023 international class as a well-rounded catcher who has a shot to produce both offensively and defensively. Unlike most 16-year-olds, there's not a lot of projection with Duno. He's already built like a big league catcher, as a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder.
  
  Scouting Report: Duno's array of future outcomes spans the gamut from becoming a glove-first catcher to other paths where he becomes a plus-plus power slugger who eventually also plays other positions. Duno has a plus arm already and it could end up as a plus-plus arm, and he has worked on his mechanics to have a quick exchange. He also has soft hands and moves well behind the plate despite his size. He's big for a catcher, but he shows the lateral movement to stick behind the plate. Offensively, he's got plenty of bat speed and plus present raw power that could end up being plus-plus as he matures. His ability to get to that power potential will be dependent on how quickly he can refine his swing, as sometimes his lower half and upper half aren't always in sync, but he shows solid barrel control as well and good hand-eye coordination. Duno is an average runner for now, but like most catchers, he can be expected to slow down as the wear and tear of catching takes its toll.
  
  The Future: Duno is yet another example of the Reds' recent shift to international signees with excellent present baseball skills to go with solid tools. Duno is a relatively polished player for his age, but in his case, he's also one with rare athleticism for his size. He'll get to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later in 2023. It would not be a surprise if he was one ofthe Reds top 10 prospects before too long.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 55. Field: 50. Run: 45. Arm: 60.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Duno is one of the most promising players in the 2023 international class as a well-rounded catcher who has a shot to produce both offensively and defensively. Unlike most 16-year-olds, there's not a lot of projection with Duno. He's already built like a big league catcher, as a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder.
  
  Scouting Report: Duno's array of future outcomes spans the gamut from becoming a glove-first catcher to other paths where he becomes a plus-plus power slugger who eventually also plays other positions. Duno has a plus arm already and it could end up as a plus-plus arm, and he has worked on his mechanics to have a quick exchange. He also has soft hands and moves well behind the plate despite his size. He's big for a catcher, but he shows the lateral movement to stick behind the plate. Offensively, he's got plenty of bat speed and plus present raw power that could end up being plus-plus as he matures. His ability to get to that power potential will be dependent on how quickly he can refine his swing, as sometimes his lower half and upper half aren't always in sync, but he shows solid barrel control as well and good hand-eye coordination. Duno is an average runner for now, but like most catchers, he can be expected to slow down as the wear and tear of catching takes its toll.
  
  The Future: Duno is yet another example of the Reds' recent shift to international signees with excellent present baseball skills to go with solid tools. Duno is a relatively polished player for his age, but in his case, he's also one with rare athleticism for his size. He'll get to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later in 2023. It would not be a surprise if he was one ofthe Reds top 10 prospects before too long.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 55. Field: 50. Run: 45. Arm: 60.