SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Baseball might be a numbers and results-oriented game, and those who compete at the highest levels want to produce. But sometimes that takes a back seat, especially here in the Arizona Fall League.
There were few hitting prospects in the Minor Leagues who had more impressive numbers than the Reds’ Alfredo Duno at age 19 in the Single-A Florida State League, with a 164 wRC+ trailing only Kevin McGonigle and the Pirates’ Konnor Griffin -- the top two prospects in the game. His .948 OPS was also among the best in the Minors and among catchers, his production stacks up against anyone. There’s a reason why he’s No. 48 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 and No. 2 on the Reds’ Top 30.
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So on paper, Duno’s .171/.327/.195 line across 13 fall games following a 1-for-4 night on Sunday might cause some to worry. But this is a developmental league, first and foremost, and everyone, from Duno to the Reds' front office, knew there would be a learning curve for a teenager who has yet to play above Single-A. He’s nearly 3 years younger than the average hitter here, so those numbers take a back seat.
“I think there's times that things haven't gone the way that I wanted to, but I'm going out there, I keep learning and I keep competing,” said Duno through translator Julio Morillo, the Peoria Javelinas manager (and Reds coach) Julio Morillo. “I know the kind of hitter I am and I don’t pay much attention to that. I just go out there and compete.”
It’s a mature mental approach for someone so young, though that shouldn’t be so shocking from a player who walked more than he struck out in 2025, and even here in Arizona, has a walk rate over 19 percent. With just a couple of weeks remaining, Duno’s objective is pretty clear:
Just keep having professional at-bats without worrying about results.
“Absolutely, I'm learning to play baseball,” Duno said. “I know there's a lot of good pitchers in the Fall League, so my goal is: I'm trying to keep competing every day and that's it.”
Not only is Duno trying to hit older pitchers with a lot more experience, he’s also getting used to handling them behind the plate.
“I think I’ve faced more advanced pitchers, but I've also been catching them and I feel like I've learned both sides of the game,” Duno said. "I'm improving on both sides of the game.”
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Duno’s leadership at a position where it’s most needed has stood out since he signed in January 2023, but seeing it while dealing with better stuff and more mature arms has definitely caught the eye of his organization.
“I think the way that he calls the baseball game, the way that he communicates with his pitchers, even some of them who are more advanced or played in a higher level than he did, he's able to communicate with those guys well and that's very encouraging for us as the Cincinnati Reds to see from him,” said Morillo, who has been with the Reds as a player, baseball operations assistant, coach and manager since 2009.
The positive reinforcement hasn’t only come from coaches and player development staff. Early on, Duno was the batterymate of his fellow Red Rhett Lowder (CIN No. 5/MLB No. 80), who has big league time. The right-hander gave Duno a five-star review.
“He was awesome,” Lowder said of Duno after his first AFL start. “He was very responsive to everything I had to say and it seemed like he took great mental notes of anything that I like to do, and then he gave some feedback. Just a really big target too, which is awesome.”
“It's a very satisfying thing that he says that because it makes me believe more in me and then I know I can do it,” Duno said.
The young catcher has also benefited from playing alongside organizationmate Cam Collier (CIN No. 6/MLB No. 94). Collier is only a little over a year older than Duno but has already reached Double-A, with a lot more familiarity of what lies ahead for his teammate.
“Yes, we spend a lot of time outside of the game,” Duno said about being Collier’s AFL teammate. “We talk and he has been helping me some with the hitting aspect of the game and we're very united.”
Regardless of what the final slash line is for Duno, this has been nothing but a positive experience for the catcher. He understands these games don’t have much meaning in terms of wins and losses and his personal numbers are just as inconsequential. It’s why on any given day, Duno can be seen joking with teammates and fans in the stands alike. And rest assured, everything that happened here will be poured into his performance when the lights go on and he moves up a level in 2026.
“It was a big year that I had last year and whatever I learn over here, I'm going to take that with me and hopefully I can carry that for the next season,” he said.