Four 2023 Dragons Named as Reds Organization All-Stars
Dayton, Ohio—Four members of the 2023 Dayton Dragons have been named as Cincinnati Reds Organization All-Stars by MiLB.com, based on their performances this past season. Additionally, five Dragons players from previous years were among the 11 players selected from the Reds farm system. The full story on the Reds Organization
Dayton, Ohio—Four members of the 2023 Dayton Dragons have been named as Cincinnati Reds Organization All-Stars by MiLB.com, based on their performances this past season. Additionally, five Dragons players from previous years were among the 11 players selected from the Reds farm system.
The full story on the Reds Organization All-Stars is available here: https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/cincinnati-reds-2023-organization-all-stars?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
Impact rookies -- including Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain -- provided some pop for Cincy this season.@Reds Organization All-Stars: https://t.co/rQYUWFk5Un pic.twitter.com/4YX9Zp7bV7
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) November 6, 2023
The group selected as Reds Organization All-Stars includes eight position players, two starting pitchers (one left-hander; one right-hander), and one relief pitcher.
Outfielder Blake Dunn, right-handed starting pitcher Julian Aguiar, third baseman Sal Stewart, and relief pitcher Zach Maxwell were selected as 2023 Reds Organization All-Stars. Each player played for the Dragons in 2023.
Second baseman Matt McLain (2021 Dragons), shortstop Elly De La Cruz (2022 Dragons), outfielders Rece Hinds (2022 Dragons) and Jacob Hurtubise (2021 Dragons), and left-handed starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (2022 Dragons) were also selected, based on their performances in 2023. The other two players named were catcher Alfredo Duno, a 17-year-old future Dragon who played for the Reds Dominican Summer League team in 2023, and first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who was the Midwest League Most Valuable Player in 2022 as a member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels prior to being traded to the Reds.
McLain, De La Cruz, Abbott, and Encarnacion-Strand all played significant roles in the Major Leagues for the Reds in 2023 after enjoying great starts to the season in the Reds farm system.
Dunn and Aguiar both began the 2023 season with the Dragons before being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga. While with the Dragons, Dunn was selected as both Midwest League and Reds Minor League Player of the Month in April. Similarly, Aguiar was selected as both Midwest League and Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May based on his great month with the Dragons.
Stewart and Maxwell both began the season with Single-A Daytona before being promoted to the Dragons. Stewart had a highly-impressive finish to the year with the Dragons and could begin the 2024 season back in Dayton. Maxwell’s time in Dayton was highlighted by his elite velocity on his fastball, which reached 101 mph at Day Air Ballpark, just one mile per hour short of the stadium record set in 2018 by Hunter Greene.
Reds 2023 Organization All-Stars
First base: Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Second base: Matt McLain
Shortstop: Elly De La Cruz
Third base: Sal Stewart
Outfielders: Blake Dunn, Rece Hinds, Jacob Hurtubise
Catcher: Alfredo Duno
Right-handed starting pitcher: Julian Aguiar
Left-handed starting pitcher: Andrew Abbott
Relief pitcher: Zach Maxwell
The Dragons open the 2024 season, their 24th in the Midwest League, on April 5 at Day Air Ballpark against the Lansing Lugnuts.
Dragons 2024 season ticket information is available now. Call the Dragons at (937) 228-2287 or email [email protected] for more information, or visit the Dragons website at daytondragons.com/seasontickets.