Robert Averette -- By Robert Sherry

In a Reds system that is thin when it comes to pitching prospects, Averette should have a good chance to eventually make it to Cinergy Field and stick as a member of the Cincinnati pitching staff.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighting in at 185 pounds, this now 23-year-old righty had a good season in 1999 at Class-A Rockford. Averette went 9-5 with a 2.58 ERA in 125.2 innings pitched, 117 hits allowed, 40 walks, 98 strikeouts, two complete games, and two shutouts in 19 starts. Probably most impressive was that he gave up just two homers over that time. He ended the season at Double-A Chattanooga, where he made six starts, going 2-1 with a 5.20 ERA, 36.1 innings pitched, one complete game, 42 hits allowed, 19 walks, and 15 strikeouts.

Averette doesn't have overpowering stuff, so eventually you are looking at him probably widing up in the bullpen. He has one big plus going for him and that is that the Cincinnati front office really likes him so he will be given every chance and then some to succeed. He needed to have a good showing back at Chattanooga to open this season and that's exactly what he has done, going 4-0, with a 1.80 ERA, two complete games, 40 innings pitched, 27 hits allowed, nine walks, and 24 strikeouts through five starts.