Blake Dunn #59

Graduated from Saugatuck (MI) High School, where he accumulated 16 varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and track-and-field...was injured his senior season and did not play baseball or run track...set school basketball records for single-game scoring record (51) and most career points (1,541)...was a three-time state champion in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles...holds 6 track records at Saugatuck...finished his high school football career ranked second in Michigan history with 824 points scored...played at Western Michigan University...in 2020 was rated by Baseball America the second-best athlete in college baseball...in 2019 was All-MAC first team...posted a 3.5 GPA at WMU...has eight siblings.

2025

Appeared on his first Major League Opening Day roster...In the second inning on 4/5 vs. MIL hit his lone homer of the 2025 season and the second of his career, a solo shot off Elvin Rodriguez...In the eighth inning on 4/7 at SF delivered a go-ahead, two-run double off Erik Miller...marked the first two go-ahead RBI and first multi-RBI game of his career...Was hit by a pitch four times through his first 12 games of the season (3/27-4/12), tied with Jason LaRue (2005) for second-most by a Red through his first 12 games of a season in the last 125 years, trailing only Shin-Soo Choo (7HBP, 2013)...Ended his lone stint with the Reds on a career-long 0-for-17 hitless streak (4/30-2-5/8)...optioned to AAA-Louisville on 5/9...at the time of his option, led all Major League batters with seven hit-by-pitches.

2024

In the 4-1 win at COL on June 4, made his Major League debut after having his contract selected from AAA-Louisville earlier in the day...In the fifth inning of the 3-2 victory on June 7 vs. CHC, doubled off Justin Steele for his first Major League hit...From June 4 at COL to June 7 vs. CHC, scored at least one run run in each of his first four Major League games, joining Miller Huggins (six games, 1904), Vada Pinson (four, 1958) and Bobby Henrich (four, 1957) as the only Reds since 1900 to achieve that feat...Following the June 12 game vs. CLE, was optioned back to Louisville...On July 3, was recalled from the Bats and appeared in five games for the Reds before being optioned again to AAA on July 10...Was recalled from Louisville on Sept. 2 and spent the rest of 2024 on the active Major League roster...In the fifth inning of the 15-3 loss vs. ATL on Sept. 19, hit his first Major League home run, a solo shot off Chris Sale...In the third inning, also stole his first two career bases...Became the first Red and fifth Major Leaguer since 1900 to record his first career home run and the first two steals of his career in the same game (last: LAD's Scott Schebler, Sept. 4, 2015 at SD)...Was also the first Red to steal each of his first two career bases in the same inning since Travis Dawkins on April 10, 2002 at PIT.

2023

On 6/6 was promoted from Dayton to Chattanooga, his first action at Class AA...Beginning with his 6/6 promotion and through the end of the regular season, led the Southern League in BA, OBP, hits, total bases, runs and steals while ranking second in OPS and third in slugging percentage...Twice produced three-game home runs streaks, from 4/28-4/30 for Dayton and from 8/26-8/29 for Chattanooga...Was the longest home run streak by a Dragons batter all season...his Lookouts streak tied for the second-longest in the Southern League behind teammate Rece Hinds’ six-game home run streak from 6/11-6/17...Hit a grand slam in Chattanooga’s 29-3 victory on 7/6 at Rocket City.