The Trio

In Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce, the average age of the middle portion of Cincinnati's lineup is just 24 years old. With thirty-somethings Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn gone, the keys to the Reds offense is in the trio's hands. Cincinnati will need all the help scoring runs it can muster. Last season, the club ranked 12th in the National League in runs scored. Cincinnati's .240 team average with runners in scoring position ranked at the league's bottom.Reds fans grew used to a steady diet of veteran hitters and stars like Barry Larkin, Sean Casey, Dunn and Griffey over the past several years. Starting with the short-lived regimes of former general managers Dan O'Brien and Wayne Krivsky, the organization revamped its farm system and focused on bringing the Reds towards a more promising future to stem years of losing.