New evaluation just revealed a key part of Alfredo Duno's game Reds fans have ignored

When 17-year-old catcher Alfredo Duno signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an International free agent in 2023, no one doubted his power. He already stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 210 pounds. He put that frame solidly behind the ball, getting a grade of 70 in raw power from most scouts.

The biggest question mark for Duno was his ability to stick behind the plate as a catcher; The Athletic’s Keith Law led the charge of skeptics. It seems, though, that a new perspective on Duno’s fielding is beginning to emerge.

Eric Logenhagen of FanGraphs emphasized Duno’s fast-twitch reactions — which help him blast the ball to all fields — and physicality as marks in his favor behind the plate. Logenhagen acknowledges that Duno has to work on his pitch framing, but he notes that the Reds prospect could be a plus-defender. If these predictions pan out, Duno may become one of the premier catchers in the majors.

Reds top prospect Alfredo Duno may be better behind the plate than some give him credit for

The FanGraphs projection, which grades Duno at a 40 with 60 potential in fielding, aligns with MLB.com’s view of him, which puts him at a 55 in fielding. Duno’s primary weapon is his arm. After being limited to a DH role due to an elbow injury in 2023, he gunned down 25% of would-be base stealers over the past two seasons in the minor leagues.

As for framing, Duno will make his debut in the age of ABS. That should benefit him a bit, but with each team receiving only two challenges at the moment, Duno will still need to keep strikes in the strike zone, and potentially steal some calls if the other team has used its challenges. Framing is still an important skill, but not as important as it was in years past.

If Duno is even average behind the plate, the Reds could have a talent at catcher not seen since Johnny Bench. Duno, who turns 20 on January 7, had more walks than strikes during his second stint with Class-A Daytona last season.

Duno also has some speed, having stolen six bases and collected 32 doubles in 2025. That’s not even mentioning his power. His trio of homers during the AFL playoffs went a total of 1,290 feet. Duno is still years away from making his big-league debut, but he’s close enough for Reds fans to dream of what could be.