Could a strong spring propel Blake Dunn onto the opening day roster?

The Cincinnati Reds decided to see what they had last year, promoting ample youth to the big league roster in the form of Matt McLain, Elly de la Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Bold strategy cotton. Well the bold strategy worked out for the Reds, as they took what was thought by many to be another year of a painful rebuild and turned it into a season that came down to the wire fighting for a wild card spot. As we look forward to 2024, one prospect stands out as one that could make an immediate impact on the big league roster.

Drafted in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB draft, Blake Dunn put everyone on notice last season. The Western Michigan product finished his 4 years of college slashing .331/.428/.473 and entered the MLB Draft. Dunn entered the 2023 season in High A Dayton as the 22nd ranked Reds prospect. Dunn shined in his first healthy season with the Reds slashing .276/.411/.460 in Dayton and .332/.433/.556 with 23 HR in Double-A Chattanooga. What really stands out with Dunn is his physicality on the field. Without delving into the injury reports some fans could write Dunn off as a injury prone 25 year old prospect. Dunn broke his nose in 2021 diving for a line drive in the outfield, and suffered a shoulder injury in 2022 from a collision in the outfield. Blake Dunn plays hard. It is 100% pure aggression when this man steps on the field, and that is the foundation of a player who can come up and make an immediate impact on a major league roster. Dunn flies around the diamond with plus speed and a real sense of control in the outfield. His batting style shows shades of someone like Jose Altuve, a compact, violent swing that focuses on elite bat speed. Dunn won the Reds' minor league player of the year award last year, and as a non-roster invite to spring training this season, lets take a look at where Dunn would fit in on the opening day roster in 2024.

In 2023, the Reds heavily relied on platoon outfield bats to sustain their success. Hunter Renfroe, Wil Myers, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, and Will Benson all spent a substantial amount of time in the outfield for the Reds. With Blake Dunn coming in riding the wave of a red hot 2023, Dunn could very easily slide into the Stuart Fairchild role of last season. Dunn is a righty bat that possesses a bit more pop than that of Fairchild, while still maintaining above average speed and fielding. With a strong showing in camp, Blake Dunn has the ability to come up and make a significant impact for the Reds in 2024.