Cincinnati Reds 2026 International Class Scouting Report

Center fielder Angel Nuñez is signing for $3 million as the centerpiece of Cincinnati’s 2026 class. Nuñez played for the Dominican Republic in multiple international tournaments, including in 2024 at the U-15 World Cup in Colombia, where he hit .350/.500/.550 in 26 plate appearances with six walks, three strikeouts and led the tournament with nine stolen bases. While Nuñez (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) doesn’t have the size and strength of some of the other top players in the class, his in-game skills on both sides of the ball stand out for his age. He has an aggressive approach at the plate, good bat-to-ball skills and enough power to occasionally juice one out to his pull side. He should grow into more power once he fills out his skinny frame, but it’s likely a hit-over-power game that relies more on his ability to put the ball in play and take advantage of his speed. He’s a plus runner who glides around center field and has an above-average arm.

A $1 million signing, Venezuelan shortstop Carlos Hernandez (6-foot-1, 160 pounds) is a steady middle infielder with a good mix of contact skills and defense. He’s an instinctive, high baseball IQ player with a reliable glove at shortstop. He’s a tick above-average runner who has the hands, footwork and fluidity to stay in the middle infield with a good chance to stick at shortstop. He’s not the bursty, acrobatic defender some teams prefer at the position, but he plays under control with a good internal clock. Hernandez has good bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate with a line-drive approach and gap power that could tick up as he puts more weight onto his wiry frame, though he doesn’t project to be a major power threat.

Venezuelan catcher Diego Pacheco ($700,000) offers a good mix of athleticism and offensive ability with the potential to stick behind the plate. He’s strong for his age at 6-foot, 185 pounds with a good package of hitting ability and power potential from the right side of the plate for a catcher to grow into a 15-20 home run threat. Pacheco runs well for a catcher—though that tool will likely regress—and his athleticism and strong arm are assets behind the plate. There are still things for Pacheco to refine with his blocking and receiving, but the strides he has made in those areas over the past year have enhanced his chances to stay at catcher.

Dominican shortstop Alexander Cuello ($275,000) has trended up over the past year with strong in-game offensive performance. He’s 5-foot-10, 175 pounds with a knack for manipulating the barrel to make contact at a high clip from the left side. It’s a short, simple stroke from Cuello, who makes good swing decisions and has an all-fields approach. While he doesn’t have a ton of physical projection, he has started to show more home run power in games as he’s gotten a better feel for which pitches to try to pull for damage. He’s a plus runner and a good athlete who has trained as a shortstop and could see time there in pro ball but might also move all around the infield, with speed that could play in the outfield as well. 

An outfielder from Venezuela, Jose Colina ($450,000) is 6-foot, 180 pounds with plus speed and a good chance to stick in center field. He’s a good athlete who puts together quality at-bats from the right side of the plate with a quick bat, a line-drive approach and gap power. 

Dominican shortstop Eliezer Arias, signing for $335,000, is a quick-twitch athlete at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds with good barrel awareness from the right side of the plate. For a player who doesn’t have much strength yet, Arias is able to whip the bat head through the zone with good bat speed, some of which he had been generating with a bigger leg kick that he has since toned down while still being able to generate sneaky pop for his size.