On May 29th, 2024 the Cincinnati Reds DFA’d Mike Ford clearing a 40 man roster spot to use however they wanted. They finally figured out how they wanted to use it: Blake Dunn Called Up. What can we expect from the Cincinnati Reds 11th rank prospect?
Blake Dunn Background
Blake Dunn was a 15th round (450 overall) selection by the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. He played collegiately at Western Michigan where he slashed .331/.428/.473/.901 and stole 50 bases while hitting only 11 homeruns. Blake has been a suberb athlete his whole entire life; he played all 4 years in highschool: Football, Basketball, Baseball & track. Blake has always been “undersized” standing at a mere 5’10” weighing 210, but his athleticism has never been in question. He’s quick, strong, but maybe his top quality is his passion for the game. Had it not been for injuries, he likely would’ve made his big league debut by now. He’s 25, and played in 4 minor league seasons thus far, including 2024.
Speed (55 Grade)
Going back to athleticism when it comes to Blake Dunn: Speed. He has it. It’s above average. And it’s been utilized quite frequently as a Cincinnati Reds farmhand. In his first fully healthy year (2023) he stole 54 bases between A+ Dayton and AA Chattanooga. 54/61. He scored 107 runs total, many accredited to his aggression on the basepaths.
Power (50 grade)
Blake flashed a ton of power, primarily generated off his batspeed, which he’s shown to possess a lot of. In 2023, he hit 23 homers. 8 of those came in A+ Dayton, and 15 of them came in AA Chattanooga. Anyone that follows ball knows the pitching in AA is 5x better than A+, so this is a very impressive feat. Blake had a .989 OPS in AA in ’23. So far in 2024, he has 4 HRs in AAA Louisville, with an OPS of .726. It’s no secret he started the year slow, but he has a .545 SLG% in his last 10 games with 2 homeruns.
Defense (50 grade)
Blake Dunn is an all out grinder. He can play all 3 outfield positions, and that’s where the Cincinnati Reds will have him playing as well. He is an above average defender and has a good arm. He’ll likely play a corner outfield position, but can play centerfield if necessary. He profiles best in left field with the Reds.
Discipline
You can really find a lot of similarity between Jacob Hurtibise and Blake Dunn – both of these guys never had shit given to them in the baseball world, none of them were top prospects, they’re just GRINDERS. The type of guys you want on the diamond with you at all times. Blake Dunn isn’t afraid to work a count to get on base for his team. He’s averaging a crazy .408 OBP as a professional baseball player. In AAA Louisville, even with a slow start, he has an .348 OBP. Getting on base is something you can’t teach. Blake does strikeout quite a bit, and I absolutely expect that in his game as a big leaguer, but it’s going to be followed up with a lot of other good things. He has a 24:55 BB:K in AAA so far, which, for him, I believe he’s better than.
Blake Dunn Called Up
We can expect Blake to play quite a bit in the days coming – The Chicago Cubs possess 2 southpaws that we have the potential to see, the Colorado Rockies have a lefty throwing tonight’s game, as of right now, the Guardians will have a LHP going in that short series with us as well. I think Blake will get adequate playing time, especially late in games and first off the bench type things.
