LAKE ERIE'S TREVOR KUNCL SIGNS WITH CINCINNATI

WRITTEN BY: MIKE GUISTOLISE

AVON, OH - After wrapping up his third Frontier League season with a playoff run, right-handed flamethrower Trevor Kuncl of the Lake Erie Crushers signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization on Friday.

The news originally broke on Twitter via Driveline, where Kuncl spent time training in the offseason. The Philadelphia native broke into the Frontier League in 2022 with a high-velocity fastball that made him a weapon in the Crushers' bullpen. Kuncl and his strikeout stuff thrived in northern Ohio in his first two seasons, to the tune of 104 strikeouts in 95.1 innings.

Before the start of the 2024 Frontier League season, Kuncl was picked up by the Texas Rangers organization but was released at the end of spring training. The right-handed reliever responded by coming back to Lake Erie and posting the best season of his professional career, including a career-high in saves (21) and ERA (2.31) to go along with an all-star nod and 64 punchouts.

In a press release, the Crushers praised Kuncl: "The Lake Erie Crushers organization thanks Trevor Kuncl for his three seasons of unmatched energy, competitiveness, and stellar on-field performance. [We] wish him the best as he begins his affiliated-ball career and look forward to seeing him pitch at Great American Ballpark in the future!"

Trevor Kuncl is another in a long list of Frontier Leaguers to be signed by a Major League Baseball organization this year. Others include:

Derrick Edington (Windy City)
Nick Bautista (Joliet)
Patrick Lee (Evansville)
Osvaldo Berrios (Gateway)
Ricky Castro (Joliet)
Ryan McCarthy (Schaumburg)
Matt Helwig (Schaumburg)
Ryan Watson (Florence)
Tyler Bryant (Quebec)
Nate Garkow (Gateway)
Logan Campbell (Florence)
Cam Pferrer (Florence)
Carter Spivey (Florence)