When the Cincinnati Reds signed Pablo Nunez in January of 2024 he was in the mid-tier level of signings by the Reds. The Venezuelan outfielder was said to have good bat-to-ball skills, was a good defender with speed, and had some surprising power for his size but needed to add some size and strength. He is listed at 5′ 10″ and 145 lbs. How accurate that is at this point, I do not know – that’s what he was listed at when he signed, but it’s also what he’s still listed at in the 2025 Reds Media Guide.
Last season, the then 17-year-old was solid at the plate. Pablo Nunez hit .257/.371/.343 with six doubles, three triples, had 11 steals, and he walked 24 times with just 16 strikeouts in 171 plate appearances. His 9.4% strikeout rate was the 15th best among 300 players who qualified for the batting title in the league during the season.
This season he’s back in the Dominican Summer League and he’s out to a great start. The left-handed hitter has played in eight games and has had 35 plate appearances. He’s picked up 11 hits in 23 at-bats. He’s also walked 11 times and had a double. That’s led to a .478 batting average, a .667 on-base percentage, and a .522 slugging percentage. But here’s the real fun part – he has not struck out yet this season.
Rece Hinds having a hot June
In Triple-A this season, it’s been a solid season for Rece Hinds for the year. But lately he’s been on fire. Hinds entered June with an OPS of .835 on the season, hitting .261/.335/.500 through 40 games. He’s now played in 11 games in June and he’s hit .368/.442/.632 in that time with seven doubles and a home run.
Everyone who knows anything about Rece Hinds knows that he’s got massive power. But they also know that historically he’s struggled to make contact. His current strikeout rate in Triple-A is 26.9%. That’s not exactly a good strikeout rate, but it’s a rate that plenty of hitters can be successful with. For Hinds, it’s the best strikeout rate he’s ever had at any level, in any amount of playing time. In June he’s struck out just eight times in 43 plate appearances. That’s a strikeout rate of just 18.6%. It’s a small sample size, but notable and worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks, too.