Adam Dunn -- By Robert Sherry

The best potential power hitter and one of the best overall prospects in the Reds system, this 20-year-old almost could have given up on baseball to quarterback the Texas Longhorns football team. But with the likes of Major Applewhite and Chris Simms on campus there, it looks as if Dunn has made the right choice as he looks destined to be a star in Cincinnati.

A multi-talented athlete, this 6-foot-6, 235 pound left-handed slugger was a second round pick in the 1998 draft. In 1999, I was most impressed with his play especially for someone who is still raw. At Rockford, Dunn batted .307, with 11 home runs, 44 RBI, 16 doubles, two triples, 62 runs scored, 46 walks, 64 strikeouts, and 21 steals in 313 at-bats. He has the speed (timed at 4.1) to play center but will have to move to one of the corner spots because of some guy named Griffey. His defense fundamentals still need to be sharpened but this will come with game experience. At the plate, Dunn could probably be a very good number three hitter wih his skills and it would help him a lot by having Junior behind him in the lineup. If not in the three hole, I think the five spot would be good for him.

The biggest thing Dunn needs is just baseball experience. Once he gets this, I think you will see him jump to into the top 10 as one of the minor league players at any level. He's off to a good start in 2000 with a .280 average, two homers, and 16 RBI. I would expect him to continue putting up these types of numbers, plus better ones, for years to come.