Reds Prospect Weekly: Lebron hits 3 HR in High-A debut, Nuñez with 7 hits at complex level
By Peyton Hayes ·
Reds Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Reds farm system.
Justin Lebron Gets Up to Speed at Dayton
Justin Lebron (A+, SS, Rank: 2) went 8-for-28 in his first week at High-A Dayton, hitting three home runs and driving in five, with three walks against seven strikeouts. As a 21-year-old playing his first professional games above the college level, his performance shows a significant level of readiness. The production is unsurprising in one sense: he is a 60 power, 60 arm, 60 field shortstop who projects as an everyday player, and his power ceiling has been the subject of positive chatter since he was drafted. The manner of the week matters, though. The three home runs in 54 plate appearances at this level put his early Dayton line at .320/.370/.700, a small-sample number that still reflects genuine power impact rather than a random cluster of bloopers. Exit velocity and raw power have always graded ahead of the hit tool, and early returns at High-A are consistent with that ordering.
The development question with Lebron has always centered on the 50 hit tool and an elevated strikeout rate that reached 24.2 percent in his final college season. He is an aggressive hitter with a 51.4 percent swing rate and a 73.2 percent contact rate in this sample, which is a workable pairing, but the 25.9 percent strikeout rate over 54 plate appearances is not yet a departure from the concern. Breaking balls down in the zone remain a specific vulnerability noted in his scouting profile, and High-A arms will test that repeatedly. The upside here is real: a true shortstop with plus defense, plus speed, and legitimate 60 raw power is a valuable player even in a conservative scenario. The next several weeks of data will tell us whether the strikeout rate stabilizes or starts climbing as pitchers identify the pattern. Either way, the power has shown up immediately, and that is worth tracking closely.
Angel Nuñez is Simplifying the Complex Level
Angel Nuñez (RK, OF, Rank: 46) posted 7 hits and 5 walks across 23 plate appearances this week, adding a double, a triple, and a home run. He is a 17-year-old left-handed hitter with a 50 hit tool, a 60 speed grade, and makeup grades at 60 across the board, and the production is tracking with all of that. Over the last 30 days at the complex level, he is slashing .329/.438/.553 with 3 home runs, 17 walks, and only 18 strikeouts in 96 plate appearances, a 17.7 percent walk rate that is genuinely advanced for a teenager in his first professional exposure.
The power question is the one that will define his ceiling. He grades at 40 raw power currently, and the projection acknowledges that meaningful strength development is required before anything close to average power arrives in games. The lean frame means most future gains will come from physical maturation rather than a mechanical fix, and that timeline is years away. What is not in question is the bat-to-ball ability and the zone control. A 60.5 percent contact rate against a 51.4 percent swing rate at the complex level is a workable profile for a 17-year-old, particularly when paired with a walk rate that rivals prospects several years his senior. The best-case outcome is an everyday center fielder who hits for average, gets on base at a high clip, and steals bases with plus speed. The 24 stolen bases in 219 plate appearances this season suggest the speed is already translating. At his age, forcing anyone to discuss a ceiling at all is the accomplishment.
Quick Hits
Zach McCambley (AAA, RHP, Rank: 49) · gave up 1 run over 3.2 innings against Triple-A competition this week, generating 10 whiffs on 52 pitches despite allowing 3 walks. It was a condensed outing in a larger relief week that included a brief MLB recall on August 17 before being optioned back the following day. Over his last 30 days at Triple-A, he has posted a 1.74 ERA across 10.1 innings with 9 strikeouts and only 2 earned runs, and the full 2026 Louisville line reads 2.54 ERA through 28.1 innings. The curve, graded at 55 with sharp break and consistently high whiff rates, remains the separator; the fastball sitting in the 94-97 range does enough work to keep hitters from sitting on it. He probably fits as an up-down depth starter or long-man.
Jirvin Morillo (A, C, Rank: 41) · put up 6 hits and 3 RBI in 14 plate appearances, drawing 2 walks against just 2 strikeouts. The contact rate in that sample is a departure from his 56.6 percent season figure, which remains the core concern for his profile. At the full-season level in 2026, he is slashing .259/.394/.426 at Low-A Daytona with 2 home runs in 66 plate appearances, a significant step down from his complex-ball performance but not an unexpected one. His walk rate over the last 30 days is 21.6 percent, genuinely exceptional discipline for a 19-year-old catcher, and the emerging on-base skill could compensate for modest average as he climbs. The receiving and blocking still need reps; whether the glove catches up to the bat determines whether he stays at catcher or shifts to a position with a higher offensive bar.
Carlos Sanchez (AA, 3B, Rank: 48) · collected 4 hits and 6 walks across 23 plate appearances at Double-A Chattanooga, posting 7 strikeouts but drawing free passes at a 26.1 percent clip for the week. The season-long Double-A line is .219/.352/.331 with 4 home runs in 193 plate appearances, a sharp drop from his .313/.409/.504 performance at High-A earlier this year. The walk rate in the last 30 days is 21.3 percent, which is notable, but the .200 average over that stretch reflects the contact and power limitations that come into focus against better arms. He is a contact-oriented infielder with versatility across the left side and a 55 arm grade, but without a carrying offensive tool, the Double-A adjustment period is revealing the gaps. The on-base skills keep him relevant; the power will need to show up more consistently for him to hold a role at this level.
Eric Becker (A+, SS, Rank: 3) · drove in 4 runs on 4 hits in 16 plate appearances, including a home run and a double. The 55 hit tool and above-average zone control are the carrying attributes in his profile, and the season numbers at Dayton reflect a 21-year-old still finding his footing: .212/.305/.365 with 2 home runs and a 25.4 percent strikeout rate through 59 plate appearances. I would expect the average to climb as the sample grows. He projects as an everyday second baseman whose value lives in the contact and on-base side rather than power, and the 45 power grade is not going to produce 20-homer seasons, but the ability to get on base and put the ball in play should carry him to a regular role if the defense firms up at second.
Adolfo Sanchez (A, OF, Rank: 13) · went 3-for-18 with a home run and 3 walks in 18 plate appearances, continuing a difficult recent stretch at Low-A. Over the last 30 days at Daytona he is slashing .190/.296/.369 with 4 home runs in 98 plate appearances, a combination of modest average and real power that describes his profile fairly accurately. The 45 hit tool grade is honest: he can drive the ball when he finds the barrel, but the contact rate at 60.7 percent and a 23.5 percent strikeout rate over the last month are consistent with a prospect still learning to recognize spin at full-season pitching. The 55 arm grades well for a corner, and right field is his likely long-term home. The power is real; the hit tool will determine how much of it shows up in game results.
Mason Morris (A+, RHP, Rank: 14) · received his first promotion to High-A Dayton on August 25, closing out a Low-A season with a 6.1-inning outing in his final Daytona start: 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. At Low-A this year he posted a 5.54 ERA across 92.2 innings in 21 outings, numbers that obscure a legitimate power arsenal: a cutter graded at 60, a slider at 55, and a fastball that sits 96-99 mph. The command has been the problem all year, with 57 walks in 92.2 innings and a strike rate of just 42.5 percent. His four-game stretch leading up to the promotion showed improvement, a 3.43 ERA with a 9.1 percent walk rate over 21 innings. If the command ticks even a half grade toward average at High-A, the stuff is going to be difficult to square up.
Alfredo Duno (AA, C, Rank: 1) · was activated from the 7-day injured list on August 25 after missing time with a right hamstring strain. His last game action came July 29, and no stats are yet available from his return. The 2026 split across levels has been encouraging: .260/.390/.512 with 16 home runs in 295 plate appearances at High-A, followed by a .288/.397/.500 line with 3 home runs in 78 plate appearances at Double-A. Getting him back healthy and logging consistent reps behind the plate at Chattanooga is the priority down the stretch.
Mason Neville (A+, OF, Rank: 16) · was placed on the 7-day injured list on August 25 after his last appearance on August 19. His two-week stretch before the placement was rough: 3-for-26 with 19 strikeouts in 28 plate appearances. The 2026 season has been a tale of three levels, a .418/.535/.909 line with 7 home runs at the complex, followed by a .155/.256/.267 stretch at Low-A, and then a .181/.297/.483 line with 10 home runs in 139 plate appearances at High-A. The power shows up against better competition; the contact rate remains the open variable. Hopefully the IL stint is short.
Nestor Lorant (AA, RHP, Rank: 23) · was placed on the 60-day injured list on August 20. The cause is not confirmed, but the timing is unfortunate: he had been excellent, posting a 2.01 ERA across 22.1 Double-A innings with 30 strikeouts and only 6 walks. That followed a 3.10 ERA in 40.2 innings at High-A to begin the year. A 60-day placement likely ends his 2026 season, which is a significant loss given the trajectory he was on.
Carlos Jorge (AAA, SS, Rank: 27) · was activated from the 7-day injured list on August 25 at Triple-A Louisville. No stats are available yet from his return. His 2026 Double-A line before the promotion was a productive .330/.402/.452 with 23 stolen bases in 259 plate appearances, and he has posted a .267/.305/.378 line in 95 plate appearances at Louisville since the move. Getting back on the field for the final weeks of the Triple-A season gives him a chance to close the gap on that slugging figure against upper-level arms.