Terry Francona's bullish stance should have fans buying stock in capable Reds rookie

The Cincinnati Reds 2025 roster is loaded with star-power. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are sure to bring the pop, and Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo will unload with 95-plus on the radar gun. But it's going to take more than a Herculean effort from the Reds' best bats and arms to push this team into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Reds will need key contributions from some of their lesser-known players as well. Based on recent comments from Reds manager Terry Francona, he believes that Blake Dunn could be one of those guys.

Speaking earlier this week about the team's decision to carry both Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise on the Reds Opening Day roster, Francona said, "Blake Dunn forced his way onto the team. ... we don't want to turn him into just a platoon player."

Terry Francona's bullish stance should have Reds fans buying stock in Blake Dunn

Dunn was the Reds Minor League Player of the Year two seasons ago. After playing in just 37 games in 2022 due to injury, the former 15th round draft pick out of Western Michigan returned with a vengeance in 2023. Dunn hit .312/.425/.522 combined across High-A and Double-A and mashed 23 homers while racking up 79 RBI and swiping 54 bags.

But Dunn's 2024 campaign, which was a mix of time in Triple-A and the big leagues, saw the speedy outfielder spend time on the IL, which led to inconsistent playing time and an up-and-down season.

Fans will remember that Dunn was hit in the helmet by a 100-plus mph fastball courtesy of Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase; which caused him to be placed on the IL barely a week into his major league career. In total, Dunn played in just 19 major league games and recorded a meager .154/.241/.308 slash line in 29 plate appearances.

But with Stuart Fairchild no longer in the mix, Austin Hays on the IL, and Spencer Steer restricted to only hitting at the moment, the opportunity for Dunn to get regular playing time in the Reds lineup is certainly available. It's now up to the 26-year-old rookie to make the most of his opportunity in 2025, and it would appear that Francona has no intention of platooning Dunn with others at the outset of the season.

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