The Dayton Dragons, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Reds, announced the following roster addition today:
Infielder Eric Becker has been promoted to Dayton from the ACL Reds.
Becker was the Reds second round draft pick in 2026 out of the University of Virginia. He was the 58th overall pick in the draft and received a signing bonus of a reported $1.65 million.
Becker is now ranked by Baseball America as the #8 prospect in the Reds organization, which makes him the highest-rated prospect on the current Dragons roster based on the Baseball America list (third baseman Tyson Lewis is ranked #10 by Baseball America).
Becker played three years at Virginia (2024-26), appearing in 141 career games and batting .348 with 24 home runs, 140 RBI, and 46 doubles in 508 at-bats. In 2026, he started 45 games, all at the shortstop position while earning 3rd Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.
Baseball America offered the following scouting report on Becker, who they rated as the #50 prospect in the 2026 draft. “Becker is a fundamentally sound shortstop and lefthanded hitter who has been the engine for Virginia’s lineup since his freshman year…At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Becker has a loose and easy operation at the plate. He has a clean lefthanded swing that goes directly to the ball and leads to line-drive contact all over the field…Becker has solid exit velocities and perhaps more physical projection in the tank, but he’s never hit more than nine home runs in a season and has more of a hit-over-power offensive profile that will come with a solid number of doubles into the gaps…Becker is a solid runner but not a burner, and he’s a reliable defender and not a flashy one.”