Alfredo Duno isn't the only Reds catching prospect drawing serious attention

Alfredo Duno is the crown jewel of the Cincinnati Reds' farm system and for good reason. The 20-year-old has rare offensive tools, not just for a catcher but for any prospect, giving credence to the idea that the Reds should be aggressive and lock him up long-term before he even steps on a major league field.

After a stellar start to the year at High-A Dayton that saw the Venezuelan native slash .260/.390/.512 with 16 homers over 65 games, Cincinnati made the bold decision to promote Duno to Double-A Chattanooga at the end of June.

The jump from High-A to Double-A is often considered the biggest in the minors, but through nine games, it seems to have further unlocked Duno's bat as he's hit .324/.425/.647 with three more dingers.

In Duno, it would appear that the Reds have their catcher of the future, so there's no need to look any further. But that ignores another development. Toiling behind Duno is one of his countrymen, 19-year-old backstop Jirvin Morillo, who is putting on a show of his own.

Morillo, ranked No. 20 in Cincinnati's system per MLB Pipeline, and despite signing in January of 2024 and spending two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, the youngster is starting to make a name for himself, too, now that he's stateside and playing in the Arizona Complex League.

The Reds will find ways for both Alfredo Duno and Jirvin Morillo to coexist

Morillo is a switch-hitter and is lighting up the competition while showing significant improvement with the bat down in Arizona. On the year, he's hitting .303/.446/.592 with nine homers over 196 plate appearances and 45 games.

He's been noted for his advanced approach behind the plate, and it's showing up this year with a 20.4% walk rate despite a spike in strikeouts, coming in at 26.5%. MLB Pipeline also explains that the Reds love his attitude, citing his efforts to learn English and showing up early to get in extra work in Arizona this year.

For any player, but especially a catcher who has to lead a pitching staff, those sorts of intangible qualities really matter. It speaks highly of Morillo's work ethic and desire to improve.

If both players continue to progress the way the Reds hope, they'll eventually be on a collision course that would seem like a logjam is brewing. Despite Duno's more extensive experience, the two are almost exactly a year apart in age, with Duno born on January 7, 2006, and Morillo born on January 10, 2007.

How the pair can coexist is an interesting conundrum, but not one without a solution. Duno is a big-bodied catcher, coming in at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, making his long-term fit behind the plate a real question. Morillo has defensive questions of his own, but at 5-foot-10, 177 pounds, he has a better chance of refining his defensive game and sticking at catcher.

Regardless, one or both may eventually move ot another position, and that's okay. They both may have special bats, which is the main draw. We have a long way to go, but if they both prove to have major league-caliber bats, the Reds can figure out the positional stuff later, enjoying the fact that they have the flexibility and upside to have two potential impact stars for the future.

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