As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
The Cincinnati Reds have made the postseason, and now they are looking to maybe trade Hunter Greene while also staying somewhat competitive in a winnable NL Central. The Reds farm system over the years has been relatively strong because they tend to draft early. Recently they veered off the path of drafting quick-to-the-majors college arms and instead went after Steele Hall with their first-round selection. The Reds farm system is pitching-heavy towards the back end with a few pitchers who have a chance to be high-leverage relievers. The system is headlined by one of the best catching prospects in baseball in Alfredo Duno, who is easily a top 15 prospect in the entire sport because of his blend of contact and power. All in all, the Reds farm system is relatively strong and has a mix of upside and floor, as a few prospects from this list will graduate in short order and help the Reds maybe compete in a winnable NL Central.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
Alfredo Duno had one of the best seasons we have seen in a while at the Single-A level, showing off a good approach and near top-of-the-scale power in-game. Duno is not the best athlete on a baseball field by any means, but he has plenty of ways in which he can provide value. He projects to be an average defender at the most important defensive position; he moves well back there and does a decent job of presenting strikes, but that skill will be less valuable with the Automated Ball/Strike challenge system. Duno is a decent blocker, and he has a plus arm that he uses to hold base-runners even in the Florida State League, where runners run wild on the basepaths. Duno has experimented with his pre-pitch setup but has more often ended up with a high leg kick. He makes contact with a large majority of pitches in the zone, and he also has a good understanding of the strike zone. He works deep counts and reads spin out of the hand well. He has easy plus-plus power and could project out to be a 30-homer bat at the end of the day, thanks to the tremendous mix of strength and bat speed he generates. There is a lot of developmental runway here. Still, Alfredo Duno looks like he will be more than passable as a catcher, could withstand the workload that comes with that position, and could also be one of the game's better offensive catchers. The one concern here is that the bat is outpacing the glove, which may lead to a move off catcher, but he has more than enough bat and should be a good enough defender at first base to still be a top 15 prospect in baseball. - Rhys White
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
