Western Michigan hasn't produced a big leaguer since Adam Rosales went in the 12th round of the 2005 Draft, but Dunn has the upside to end that drought. He earned 16 letters in four sports at Saugatuck (Mich.) High, finishing as the second-leading scorer in state football history (827 points), winning six state championships in hurdles and scoring 51 points in a single basketball game. He's one of the top college athletes in the Draft but a rough summer in the Cape Cod League has raised questions about his hitting ability.
Dunn has been clocked at 6.32 seconds in a 60-yard dash on artificial turf, and he translates his plus-plus speed into dynamic basestealing ability and quality defense in center field. His arm is also a weapon, with his fastball registering up to 95 mph during his sporadic appearances on the mound. He also offers plus raw power from the right side of the plate.
Those tools could have landed Dunn in the top two or three rounds if he hadn't hit .229/.338/.298 with a 25 percent strikeout rate on the Cape. He has some timing issues at the plate and will chase balls up in the strike zone, though he does employ a patient approach. He has yet to prove he can tap into his power on a regular basis, hitting just seven homers in 108 college games.
Dunn played just about every sport in the Michigan high school ranks. He gave up football, basketball and track when he went to Western Michigan, playing baseball for four years (including the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). A broken hamate in 2021 limited his exposure, but the Reds thought his athleticism was worth a low-risk flier in Round 15 that summer. Injuries plagued him throughout his first year-plus in the system, but a healthy 2023 enabled him to take advantage of more playing time, and he turned in a stellar 20-50 season across High-A and Double-A.
Dunn was truly able to showcase his athleticism while avoiding the injury bug. It was unclear what kind of playing time he was going to get last year, but when Jay Allen got hurt, Dunn took the opportunity and ran with it. The right-handed hitter has a solid approach -- he will take a walk but also isn’t afraid to be aggressive in order to do damage. That improved approach allowed him to tap into his raw power consistently for the first time.
Dunn’s above-average speed plays up because he’s aggressive and smart on the basepaths, and he was able to swipe 54 bags in 61 tries in 2023. He can play all three outfield spots, and the Reds love his all-out grinder mentality and willingness to do anything the team needs to win. He’s the type of player who might profile as a fourth or fifth outfielder in the big leagues, but it would surprise no one if he willed himself past that limited ceiling and found a bigger role.
Dunn was a four-sport standout in high school (football, basketball, baseball, track) who went on to focus on baseball at Western Michigan, where he put up decent numbers across four seasons, though he injured his left hamate in his final year, limiting his time. The Reds took a flier on him in the 15th round, signing him for the post-10 round slot of $125,000. Injuries -- first a broken nose during his summer debut, then a forearm strain that delayed his 2022 debut by a month and then a shoulder injury that shelved him for more than two months -- have hurt his development, but a healthy Dunn performed his way from High-A to Double-A in 2023.
At his best, Dunn can impact the game in a number of ways. A state hurdle champion who has recorded plus run times in the 60-yard dash, he’s an aggressive runner who likes to steal bases. The right-handed hitter is aggressive at the plate but has good plate coverage and has shown a willingness to draw walks. Better timing at the plate than in his college days combined with that refined approach has allowed him to tap into his raw power more successfully this season.
Dunn has some pitching on his college resume, and the arm that fired fastballs up to 95 mph off the mound is an asset in the outfield. He can handle center field, but has also shown he has no problem moving around to play all three outfield spots. More than any tool, his makeup stands out, playing on both sides with a ton of energy, reminding some in the organization of a right-handed version of TJ Friedl.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here