Dayton's Alfredo Duno Named Midwest League's Best Prospect and All-Star Catcher

Dayton, Ohio— Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced its official 2026 Midwest League Full-Season All-Star Team and player awards. Catcher Alfredo Duno, who spent the first three months of the season with the Dragons, was named the league’s “Top MLB Prospect” and was also named as the MWL’s all-star catcher for the season.

The selection of Duno marks the third time in the last five years that a Dragons player has been selected as the Midwest League’s top major league prospect. In 2022, shortstop Elly De La Cruz was awarded the same honor. In 2023, Edwin Arroyo, also a shortstop, was selected as the MWL’s top prospect. One other player in Dragons history, outfielder Austin Kearns in 2000, has been selected as the MWL’s best MLB prospect. Kearns, was a co-winner in 2000, sharing the honor with Peoria’s Albert Pujols.

Duno becomes just the second Dayton catcher to be selected as a full-season all-star, and the first since the team’s inaugural season of 2000, when Braxton Whitehead was selected.

Duno brings the historical total of Dragons players selected as Midwest League full-season all-stars to 28 as they join a list that also includes De La Cruz, Arroyo, Wily Mo Pena, Jay Bruce, Billy Hamilton, Jose Siri, and Sal Stewart among others.

Duno appeared in 65 games for the Dragons this season before earning a promotion to Double-A Chattanooga on June 30. He batted .260 with 16 home runs, 47 RBI, and an OPS of .902.

Duno typically served as the #2 or #3 hitter in the Dragons lineup throughout the first half season and first 10 days of the second half. He was a premium contributor to the Dragons First Half East Division title, which locked the Dragons into the playoffs and eventually led to the team achieving its first ever trip to the Midwest League Championship Series. The Dragons concluded their season on Tuesday night as the 2026 Midwest League runners-up.