This season, it’s easy to be seeing Reds

Published March 4, 2010 5:00am ET



So you’re looking for a baseball dark horse before the bandwagons fill up.

But out of the mass of annual sub-.500 teams — the Pirates, Orioles, Royals, Nationals — who do you pick?

How about the Reds?

No, Cincinnati hasn’t bottomed out like those other franchises. But the Reds haven’t seen .500 in a decade, either. But combine a young roster loaded with MLB-ready talent and a weak National League Central, and that may change.

A breakthrough season by outfielder Jay Bruce — paired with the established Joey Votto — would give the Reds a formidable heart of the lineup. But it’s the pitching staff that provides hope, led by veterans Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. The signing of Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman — even if he starts in Triple-A — is a sign Cincinnati is serious about acquiring elite talent.