Alfredo Duno made his High-A debut on Thursday night with the Dayton Dragons and looked the part. <\/p>\n
He’s the Real Deal<\/p>\n
In the first inning, Duno walked on four consecutive pitches after a double from Carlos Sanchez. Ryan McCrystal followed that up with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In his second at-bat, Duno flied out to center field after just missing a pitch in the heart of the zone. In the sixth inning, Duno doubled on a line drive to left field on the first pitch of the at-bat, his first hit at the High-A level. He was stranded at second base. In the seventh inning, Duno got an opportunity to hit with the bases loaded. He ripped another double in the left-center field gap to clear the bases and cut the Lansing lead to just one. He popped out to the first baseman in his final at-bat on the first pitch, a pitch right down the middle. He performed admirably behind the plate on Thursday night, although he did not get an opportunity to throw any runners out.<\/p>\n
The Reds’ current number-two prospect won the Florida State League Most Valuable Player Award last season in Single-A Daytona. He led the league in eight main offensive categories, including home runs and on-base percentage. He is going to be a must-watch for fans in Cincinnati who can get to Dayton to see a Dragons game.<\/p>\n
More High-A Debuts<\/p>\n
Duno was not the only prospect making their High-A debut on Thursday. Kien Vu, Alfredo Alc\u00e1ntara, and Cole Schoenwetter each debuted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kien Vu went 1-4 with a run scored. He ripped a double in the top of the eighth inning. He also reached base on a hit-by-pitch and scored a run in the seventh. Vu was drafted in the ninth round in last year’s draft and played just 23 games in Daytona.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alfredo Alcantara’s debut was impressive as well. He went 2-5 with an RBI and a double. Alcantara played in both the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Daytona last season. He slashed .295\/.442\/.457 between both levels with eight home runs, 17 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. The 20-year-old played in just 38 games in Daytona last season.<\/p>\n
Shoenwetter pitched three innings in his debut, allowing two earned runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. The 21-year-old was selected in the fourth round in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school. In Daytona last season, he was 2-8 with a 5.86 ERA and a .227 batting average against him. His main issue last season was walks. He walked 60 batters in 78 1\/3 innings. If he can gain command of his pitches, the 6’3″ right-hander has the potential to be a back-end rotational piece in the future.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOn Deck<\/p>\n
The Dragons play again on Friday night. Nestor Lorant makes his season debut. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. It was reported during today\u2019s radio broadcast that there has been improvement in his velocity over the offseason. Lorant typically tops out in the low-90s, averaging between 88-92 miles per hour. Last season was his worst season of his career. He went 2-10 with a 5.79 ERA and a .294 batting average against him. He has good command over his secondary pitches; an improvement in velocity could be huge in his development.<\/p>\n
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