1 Cincinnati Reds

ENEMY LINES

A rival scout sizes up the Reds

This is a good team, and they're going all in.... Joey Votto is one of the better hitters there is. He'll hit lefthanders, he hits for average, he's a gamer, and he catches the ball at first. Every year he's going to be in the talk for MVP. With Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols gone to the AL, it's pretty clear who the best first baseman in the league is.... Jay Bruce could have a huge season. He's a big, physical kid, could be a 30-homer and 100-RBI guy every year.... Devin Mesoraco, who's just 23, could be one of the better catchers in the big leagues, and soon. He'll come close to 15 homers, doesn't swing and miss a whole lot.... It's almost impossible to get a young, potential Number 1 starter, and they gave up a lot to get Mat Latos from the Padres. But it's a premium arm. The knock on him: He had a bad attitude. But he had a bad year last year, and he still struck out almost a batter per inning. If this guy ever wants to work at it, he'll be big time.... Homer Bailey threw [close to] 100 mph out of high school. When you throw like that, you don't have to learn how to pitch. He's low 90s now, but he's only 25, and he could still be an O.K. Number 3.... I can't believe the stuff Bronson Arroyo flips up there—lollipop curves. But the team's so good, if he gives them five or six innings and they get to that bullpen, he gets the win.... And that's some kind of bullpen, with Ryan Madson, Sean Marshall, Nick Masset and whatever they do with Aroldis Chapman.... Chapman might be the greatest arm in baseball. I think he's become enamored with how fast he throws. He's just one pitch away—a decent changeup—from being a great starting pitcher.

THE LINEUP

With 2011 Statistics

MANAGER DUSTY BAKER

5th season with Reds

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

NEW ACQUISITION (R) ROOKIE