KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Former Western Michigan standout Blake Dunn has been named the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Player of the Year, per Baseball America. Dunn was also named to the publication's Minor League All-Star Second Team.
 
The only player in WMU program history to have been named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, Dunn was drafted in the 15th round by the Reds in 2021. In his third year with the organization, Dunn had a prolific campaign across two levels of the organization.
 
The outfielder opened the season with High-A Dayton and got out of the gates quickly, hitting .386 with five home runs and 11 stolen bases in April to earn the Reds Minor League and Midwest League's Player of the Month awards.
 
After 47 games with the Dragons, during which he had eight home runs and stole 19 bases, Dunn was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on June 6. The Saugatuck, Mich., native elevated his play even further with the Lookouts, hitting .332 in 77 games to win the Southern League batting title by 36 points. He was named the organization and Southern League's Player of the Month in July after posting a .446 average, collecting 24 RBIs and stealing 17 bases in 22 games that month.
 
Overall in 2023, Dunn hit .312 with a .425 on-base percentage, 79 RBIs and 107 runs scored in 124 games between the two levels. He blasted 23 home runs and racked up 54 stolen bases to become just the fifth minor league player in the last 30 years to have 20+ home runs and 50+ stolen bases in the same season. The outfielder also became just the second player in the Cincinnati farm system to have 20+ homers and 50+ steals in the same season since at least 1960, joining Gary Redus, who had 24 home runs and 54 steals in 1982. Redus went on to have a 13-year career in the Major Leagues.
 
Following the season, Dunn was named to MLB Pipeline's First Team Prospect Team of the Year, Baseball America's Minor League All-Star Second Team and a Southern League All-Star. He heads into the offseason ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the Cincinnati organization, per MLB Pipeline.