The Reds certainly have the potential. The starters for the Reds are similar to be sure. You have a veteran, reliable presence in Aaron Harang, and Bronson Arroyo. You have three outstanding young pitchers in the trio of Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Micah Owings. Some think that Cueto and Volquez are future Cy Young candidates to be sure. The key here is that they are able to stay consistent and win regularly.

Run production is the other concern for the Reds. That concern appears to be dealt with however, as they have a slew of nice offensive players. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips are going to be absolute murder on the opposition this year. All three have the potential to be solid five category players, and Bruce and Votto may even be 30-40 homer guys…this season. The signing of Ramon Hernandez is likely to pay off nicely as well, as he is a pretty decent offensive catcher as a rule.

The only thing the Reds did not address was to get a strong right handed bat to take over left field. The right handed bat would help to break up the slew of left handers in Votto and Bruce. They did resign Jerry Hairston Jr, who should provide RBI opportunities and speed. He can also man that left field spot as well as a few other positions in a pinch. The Reds also signed Jonny Gomes with left field in mind if he can reclaim the power that he showed at the start of his career. If not, Norris Hooper and Chris Dickerson will probably man the position with Hairston Jr filling in here and there.

Another strength for this team might be their bullpen. The Reds have a strong, established group of pitchers out there, and they know how to protect the lead. The problem in the last few years is that they have not had many leads to protect. Francisco Cordero will continue to provide closing duties, and David Weathers will be his set up man most of the time. Left hander Bill Bray is coming on strong as well.

Here are five MLB prospects that have the strongest chance to make a huge impact their ballclub in the coming 2009 season:

1. Matt Wieters – In Baltimore, the Orioles are so high on Wieters that they traded away their incumbant catcher in Ramon Hernandez to Cincinnati. The young catcher is Major League ready at the plate, but is still learning the fine art of catching and defense. The kids bat is so good, though, that the Orioles are likely to live with the growing pains behind the dish. Wieters has fantastic hands at the plate, and has one of the quickest bats in baseball. He is also a switch hitter and would fit nicely in the Orioles starting lineup. He also has plenty of power; a luxury the Orioles desperately need. Expect him to start in Triple A but he will make a splash in the show sooner rather than later.

2. Travis Snider – This Toronto outfielder is one of those guys that has light pole power, but is just a bit erratic at the plate. He did manage a decent .300 average in a short call up last season, however. The power in Snider’s bat alone is enough to make him popular and might just win him a roster spot straight out of spring training. Snider is adequate in the outfield, but his real calling card is his power and his ability to drive the ball to every part of the ballpark.

3. David Price – The Rays showed Price off to the world during the World Series last season and their is plenty to love about this young pitcher. In short relief, he was very impressive for the American League champions. This season, however, he should be in the starting rotation. With heat that comes in at around 97-99 mph on a regular basis, and a fantastic slider, Price should be one of the best pitchers on the scene this season. He is going to have to adjust to starting, but with stuff like his he should do just fine.

4. Max Scherzer – Arizona is really excited about this young pitcher and they certainly should be. Scherzer is one of the most mature young pitchers to come on the scene in years. He knows how to work a hitter, and how to get the outs at the right time. That is something that most young pitchers do not have until about year three. Scherzer is going to get a chance to shine this season in Diamondback country, and he should be an excellent addition to the rotation.

5. Matt LaPorta – Celeveland has yet another hulking power hitter to add to an already tough lineup. The thing that sets LaPorta apart is his plate discipline. For such a strong, powerful bat, LaPorta is remarkably selective at the plate. That combination is not very common in baseball, and should serve him well throughout 2009. If he maintains that discipline, he should be able to generate plenty of runs and RBIs in that Indian lineup.

There are several others that are sure to make a splash in 2009, but these are the five that I see making the biggest noise on the field.