First name is pronounced are-iss-TEEDIS...At 16 years old was signed by Reds scout Richard Jimenez as a non-drafted free agent...Twice received the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year (2016, 2019)...is one of only two players to win the award twice (OF Billy Hamilton, 2011, 2012)...In 2019 was the National League Player of the Month & Rookie of the Month for August and NL Player of the Week for 8/5-8/11...In 2019 established modern Major League records for fewest career plate apps to 15 HR (122) and modern Major League records for HR in a player's first 12 career games (8), first 14 career games (9), first 16 career games (10), first 17 career games (11), first 22 career games (12), first 27 career games (13) and first 28 career games (14)...While at Louisville in 2019 was an International League All-Star and the league's Rookie of the Year...following the season was rated by Baseball America the 10th-best prospect in the International League...Shared with OF Brian O'Grady the 2019 Mary E. Barney Award as Louisville's co-Most Valuable Players...In 2018 was a mid-season Southern League All-Star. ..His throwing arm has been rated by Baseball America the best of any Reds minor league outfielder (2015, 2016), the best in the Southern League (2018) and the best in the International League (2019)...In 2016 was the Florida State League Player of the Year, a Baseball America High Class A All-Star, an MiLB.com Organization All-Star, winner of the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year and FSL Batter of the Week for 4/25-5/1, 2016...Was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Month for July 2014...In November 2017 participated in the Reds’ leadership training program at West Point...Following the 2019 season was invited to Major League Baseball's Rookie Career Development Program.
2021
Made 40 starts, including 24 starts in LF (last, 9/19 vs LAD), 11 starts in RF (last, 9/29 at WSox) and five starts in CF (last, 8/9 at Cle)...While Nick Castellano was injured from 7/17-8/4, started in RF in nine of the Reds' 17 games...From 4/16-6/12 missed 48 games while on the injured list following surgery to remove the hook of the hamate in his left hand...Went 0-for-16, then a career-high, between two-run HR on 8/10 at Atl off Drew Smyly and 8/16 vs Cubs off Michael Rucker...his homer off Smyly snapped at 17 games the longest homerless streak of his career (7/21-8/9)...Snapped a 16-game homerless streak on the final day of the season, on 10/3 at Pit (solo off Anthony Banda)...was the Reds' 222nd and final home run of the year...In the 6-5 walk-off loss on 7/26 at Cubs batted third in the starting lineup for the third time in his career (9/4/19 vs Phi, 9/26/19 vs Mil) and for the only time this season...In the seventh inning of the 11-inning, 8-7 win on 9/24 vs Wsh entered the game as a pinch runner... remained in the game to play LF...in the ninth singled to snap an 0-for-14 skid, then stole second base...in the 11th inning produced his first career walk-off hit, an RBI-single off Mason Thompson...Went on the injured list on 4/16, when he had surgery to remove the hook of the hamate in his left hand... was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list on 4/25, when RHP Vladimir Gutierrez was reinstated from the restricted list...Before re-joining the Reds on 6/13, from 6/3-6/12 made 6 rehab apps at Louisville, including four starts in RF, one start in CF and one start at DH (5-19, .263, 2 2b, 1hr, 5rbi, 8bb, 1k, 5r, .481obp, .526slg, 1.008ops)...Following the season played for Licey in the Dominican Winter League (9g, .207, 1rbi).
2020
Made 23 apps and 14 starts in four stints with the Reds (9gs in LF, 2gs in RF, 1gs in CF, 2gs at DH)...Made his first two career starts batting leadoff, on 9/19vs WSox in his 62nd career start and on 9/27 at Min in the final game of the regular season...Was recalled the day after Opening Day and from 7/25-8/2 went 2-for-8 in 5g and 3 starts (2gs in LF, 1gs at DH)...Served as the 29th player for the doubleheader on 8/29 vs Cubs...appeared in Game 2 as a defensive replacement in LF (RBI-single, walk)...From 8/31-9/14 went 2-for-19 in nine apps and seven starts (3gs in LF, 2gs in RF, 1gs in CF, 1gs at DH)...Was optioned to the alternate training site following the doubleheader sweep on 9/14 vs Pit, but was recalled again the next day, when Eugnio Suárez went on the 3-day paternity list...spent the rest of the season with the Reds (8g, 4gs, 3-19, .158, 1hr, 3rbi)...Started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at Atl...played LF and went 2-for-6 in the 13-inning, 1-0 loss...was the longest 1-0 game in Postseason history...did not play in the 5-0 loss in the deciding Game 2.
2019
For the second time received the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year (2016)...is only the second player ever to win the award twice (OF Billy Hamilton, 2011, 2012) ... Was the National League Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month for August ... Was National League Player of the Week for 8/5-8/11 ... Established modern Major League records for fewest career plate apps to 15 HR (122) and modern Major League records for HR in a player's first 12 career games (8), first 14 career games (9), first 16 career games (10), first 17 career games (11), first 22 career games (12), first 27 career games (13) and first 28 career games (14) ... After his promotion on 8/1, among all Major League batters ranked T3rd in HR (19) and third RBI (47)... teammate Eugenio Suárez tied for the Major League lead in HR in that span (20) ... In only 56 apps ranked T5th among National League rookies in HR (19) ... Fell a homer shy in his attempt to become the fifth Reds player to produce 20 HR after July 31 (Greg Vaughn, 20 in 1999; George Foster, 20 in 1977; Frank Robinson, 20 in 1962; Ted Kluszewski, 21 in 1956) ... In the first inning on 8/28 at Mia off Sandy Alcantara hit his 13 HR in his 100th career plate appearance... is the only player in modern Major League history with 13 HR in his first 100 career plate apps...Phi's Rhys Hoskins (98th PA) and LAD's Will Smith (100th PA) are the only other players, since 1900, to produce as many as 12 HR in their first 100 career plate apps ... On 8/10 vs Cubs homered in 3 consecutive innings (2nd, 3rd, 4th)...is the only Major League rookie and only Reds player to homer in 3 consecutive innings, tying the Major League record for HR in consecutive innings in a game...he was the 13th player to do it, the second in 2019 (Chi's Kris Bryant, 5/17 at Wsh, 7th-9th)...is only the second player in modern Major League history with a 3-homer game within his first 10 career games (Bobby Estalella, 10th game, 9/4/1997) ... Is only the third rookie batter since 1900 to produce at least 10 HR over an 11-game span (8/6-8/17), joining LAD's Cody Bellinger (2017) and Det's Rudy York (1937) ... His 3 HR and 12 total bases on 8/10 vs Cubs tied Derek Dietrich for the most HR and total bases by a Reds player in a game in 2019...Dietrich also had 3 HR and 12 RBI, on 5/28 vs Pit ... Hit 6 of his 19 HR vs the Cubs (11rbi), the most by any rookie against the Cubs in a season since Joey Votto hit 8 HR vs Chi in 2008 ... Hit .356 with runners in scoring position ... On 8/3 at Atl, in his fourth Major League appearance and third of the season, produced his first career hit (single off Dallas Keuchel), first career HR (3-run off Keuchel) and first career RBI ... His 2-run HR on 8/8 off Chi's Cole Hamels traveled 118.3 miles per hour, the hardest-hit ball by a Reds batter in the Statcast Era and tied for the hardest-hit home run in the Major Leagues in 2019 (Gary Sánchez, Pete Alonso) ... With 2 outs, the bases loaded and the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of ninth inning of the 12-inning, 4-2 win on 9/28 at Pit was credited with playing 1B for 1 batter as part of a 5-man infield...Joey Votto, standing to Aquino's right, was credited with playing LF, while Phillip Ervin moved from LF to RF ... Was National League Player of the Week for 8/5-8/11, the Reds' only weekly award winner in 2019...led the Major Leagues in slugging percentage (1.364), tied for the lead in HR (6) and led the National League in hitting (.500) and RBI (11)...was the first Reds rookie to win a Player of the Week award since RHP Chris Reitsma in April 2001 and the first Reds rookie position player since Hal Morris in July 1990 ... During that award-winning week, from 8/3-8/12 hit .517 in a career-high 9-game hitting streak and from 8/5- 8/12 produced at least 1 RBI in 7 consecutive apps, the longest RBI streak by a Reds batter this season... his 4-game home run streak from 8/6-8/10 tied Eugenio Suárez' for the longest by a Reds batter in 2019 and fell 1 game shy of the franchise record for HR in consecutive games ... Was the National League's Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month for August...led the Major Leagues in HR (14) and RBI (33) and led the National League in slugging percentage (.767)...established a new National League record for HR by a rookie in a calendar month and tied the franchise record for HR by any player in any calendar month (Frank Robinson, August 1962 & Greg Vaughn, September 1999)...his 33 RBI were second-most ever by a Reds batter in August (Frank Robinson, 34 RBI, August 1962) and the most by a Reds batter in any month since Jay Bruce had 33 RBI in May 2011 ... Was the first Major League player to win best player and rookie awards in the same month since NYY's Aaron Judge did it twice in 2017 and the first National League player to do it since LAD's Yasiel Puig in June 2013...Aquino was the second Reds player to win both awards but the first to win both in the same season... Adam Dunn was Co-Rookie of the Month in August 2001 (w/ Hou's Roy Oswalt) and Player of the Month in July 2005...Aquino was the first Reds player to win the Player of the Month since Scooter Gennett in May 2018 and the first Red to win Rookie of the Month since Billy Hamilton in June 2014 ... Was a 2019 International League All-Star and the league's Rookie of the Year...since the Reds became an affiliate in 2000, is only the second Louisville player ever to win the IL's Rookie of the Year award (Joey Votto, 2007) ... Shared with OF Brian O'Grady the 2019 Mary E. Barney Award as Louisville's co-Most Valuable Players ... When promoted to the Reds on 8/1 ranked among the International League leaders in slugging percentage (1st, .636), HR (2nd) and OPS (2nd, .992)...finished the season ranked T5th in strikeouts...would have led the IL in slugging percentage and OPS but didn't have enough plate apps to qualify ... For the Bats from 5/23-6/19 hit .345 during a 22-game hitting streak, the second-longest by a Louisville batter since 1982... from 6/12-6/19 produced an RBI in 7 straight games, the longest RBI streak by a Bats batter since Danny Dorn (7) in 2011 ... Following the season played in the Dominican Winter League (11g, .209, 3 2b, 1 3b, 1hr, 7rbi, 1sb) ... Entered the season rated by Baseball America the 19th-best prospect in the organization following the season was rated the 10th-best prospect in the International League.
2018
Made 1 appearance for the Reds and 109 starts in RF for Pensacola, where he was a mid-season Southern League All-Star...his arm was rated by Baseball America the best among Southern League outfielders...ranked third in the Southern League with 20 HR, second-most by any Reds minor league batter (Ibandel Isabel, 35)...Aquino averaged a home run every 20.20 at bats, the third-best ratio in the SL...was promoted from Pensacola on 8/17, when Joey Votto was disabled...returned to Pensacola on 8/25, when Scott Schebler came off the disabled list...on 8/19 vs SF made his only Major League appearance...pinch ran in the sixth inning, played RF and finished 0-for-1...is his only professional appearance above Class AA...was 1 of 9 Reds players to make Major League debuts in 2018 (IF Alex Blandino, RHP Tanner Rainey, RHP Zack Weiss, IF/OF Rosell Herrera, IF/OF Brandon Dixon, RHP Jesús Reyes, IF Blake Trahan, OF Gabriel Guerrero)...on 11/30 became a free agent when he was non-tendered a contract, but the next day was re-signed to a minor league contact with an invitation to 2019 Major League spring training camp...wore uniform number 63 while playing for the Reds.
2017
Spent the season at Class AA Pensacola, where he led the Blue Wahoos in triples, HR and RBI...among Southern League leaders ranked T5th in HR, T3rd in triples and second in strikeouts...among all Reds minor leaguers ranked third in HR...from 5/14-6/7 reached base safely in 23 consecutive games, the ninth-longest streak in the Southern League (.310, 17rbi)...his throwing arm was rated by Baseball America the best in the Southern League...entered the season rated the seventh-best prospect in the organization overall and Best Power Hitter...following the season played for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League (24g, .214, 1 2b, 5rbi, 1sb).
2016
At Class A Daytona was the Florida State League Player of the Year, a Baseball America High Class A All-Star, an MiLB.com Organization All-Star and winner of the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year...following the season was rated by Baseball America the ninth-best prospect in the Florida State League...led all Reds minor league batters in HR and RBI...led the Florida State League in triples, total bases and extra-base hits while ranking second in HR, third in RBI, fourth in runs scored and fifth in hits...was FSL Batter of the Week for 4/25-5/1...following the season played for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League (3g, .333, 1-3)...on 11/18 was added to the Reds' 40-man roster.