SARASOTA, Fla. — Austin Kearns, Adam Dunn and Jackson Melian dress in adjacent lockers at the Reds' spring-training facility. But they're linked by more than just proximity.

        The three outfielders are among the organization's top prospects, counted on to mature into major leaguers at about the time the Reds move into Great American Ball Park in 2003. This group possesses youth as well as talent. Dunn and Melian are 21; Kearns is 20.

Player	'00 Team	Age	Ht	Wt	Avg.	HR	RBI
Adam Dunn	Dayton (A)	21	6-6	240	.281	16	79
Austin Kearns	Dayton (A)	20	6-3	220	.306	27	104
Jackson Melian	Norwich (AA)	21	6-2	190	.252	9	38

        “I would have a hard time believing that there's another organization in baseball that has three better outfield prospects than them,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. Pointing out that Kearns, Dunn and Melian probably will play at Double-A Chattanooga this year while many minor leaguers their age will be in rookie ball, Bowden added, “We're very, very blessed.”

        Kearns, Dunn and Melian excite the Reds without leaving them giddy. Many prospects never develop fully in baseball's high-risk world.

        The presence of center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., who's signed through 2008 with an option for 2009, suggests at least one of them might never play for Cincinnati.

        But having three young players of this caliber in camp has buoyed the Reds' hopes for the future.

        “They're looking at big-league players and they have to be thinking in the back of their mind, "I can do this,' ” Reds first-base coach Bill Doran said.

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