Once-promising Reds prospect now fighting for survival despite minor league stats

Terry Francona has accomplished something important in 2025 with the Cincinnati Reds — he’s made the team undeniably competitive. If you zoom out and look at the entire franchise, you'll see that its farm system features many competitive battles of its own between prospects looking to break through in 2026.

One player who's rising rapidly through the minors is gifted outfielder Héctor Rodríguez, whom the Reds acquired from the Mets in 2022. The 21-year-old was so good in 2025 — 19 home runs combined in Triple-A and Double-A — that Cincy had to resist the temptation to fast-track him. Rodríguez has an .800 OPS, 53 homers, and 228 RBI in his minor league career.

Rodríguez’s meteoric ascent through the farm system is exciting for everyone not named Blake Dunn. A talented outfielder in his own right, Dunn also has impressive minor league numbers since being selected in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by Cincinnati: .827 OPS with 42 home runs and 175 RBI.

Reds’ competitive minor league landscape might make Blake Dunn the odd man out

After steady production across all levels of the minors, Dunn was promoted to the majors in June of 2024, but he struggled. Still primarily a Triple-A player, Dunn’s MLB numbers in limited opportunities — .151/ .298/ .254/ .554 with two home runs in 86 at-bats — don’t help his case against emerging stars like Rodríguez.

Dunn’s major league story is far from written, however. He’ll have more chances to prove himself (with the Reds or another team), and he certainly has the talent to cash in on those chances in 2026. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Dunn emerge as a contributor for the Reds next season

But Dunn faces serious competition in the outfield. Whether he ends up breaking out in 2026, getting traded, or experiencing some other baseball fate altogether, Dunn is a player to keep a close eye on entering next season.

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