Joey Votto and Jay Bruce have heard their club's detractors whisper and wonder how the new-look lineup can possibly produce enough runs to win and contend.

"They have nothing to go off of," Bruce said. "We just have to do it."

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"That's part of not being proven," Votto said. "It is a question mark. I think that's tough, especially for the coaching staff and some of the older players because, sure, there's some potential there. But potential at the big league level means very little. Execution and production is the bottom line at the big league level."

The first chance for the 2009 Reds to meet that bottom line will come at 1:10 p.m. ET on Monday against the Mets. Longing to snap an eight-year streak of sub-.500 records, Cincinnati believes it has an approach that won't make scoring runs just wishful thinking.

Gone is the feast-or-famine mindset that was heavily reliant upon home runs. Instead, the Reds have tried to assemble a lineup that they think will have diversity in how it scores runs. It includes more speed, namely from free-agent acquisition Willy Taveras at the top of the order. Manager Dusty Baker has stressed there will be more fundamental play and better situational hitting -- with more running from first base to third base, and from second to home.

It will be up to middle-of-the-order hitters like Votto and Bruce to drive Taveras home and the other guys ahead of them.

"I don't put pressure on them," Baker said of Votto and Bruce. "I just want them to be themselves. Everybody wants a finished product right away, but it doesn't happen like that. There will still be ups and downs. But they can rely on the experience they had last year. There is no substitute for experience, and they're both very confident."

After Taveras, a combination that includes Chris Dickerson and Jerry Hairston Jr. will man the No. 2 hole. The middle of the order has Votto batting third, Brandon Phillips batting fourth and Bruce batting fifth. The rest of the order is Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez and new catcher Ramon Hernandez.

"I like the way it feels," Baker said of the order.

"I know if these hitters do what we're capable of, together we can have a solid offensive team and produce a lot of runs a lot of different ways," Bruce said.

Taveras had a .367 on-base percentage two seasons ago for the Rockies. Last season it dropped to .308, but he stole a Major League-leading 68 bases. His success often comes when he bunts and beats out grounders for singles.

"Willy, at the top, will carry a lot of responsibility," Votto said. "Most leadoff hitters realize that, but especially for our lineup. I think we want to be a better situational-hitting lineup. I think we want to be tougher outs in more important situations in general. Willy being on base for those situations is really, really important."

The 25-year-old Votto, who was second to Geovany Soto in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, has a solid foundation to build from after he batted .284 with 24 homers, 84 RBIs, a .368 on-base percentage and .506 slugging percentage.

Phillips isn't a typical cleanup hitter, but he hit 30 homers with 94 RBIs two seasons ago, and had 21 homers with 78 RBIs last season. During his rookie season, the 21-year-old Bruce was more up and down than Votto while batting .254 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs after his first big league promotion.

"With young guys like me and Jay being in the middle of the order, we'll need to produce," Votto said. "And if we don't produce or are dragging, we don't belong in the middle of the order, frankly."

The middle of the order has done without Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. since both were traded last summer. But besides taking his large, 6-foot-6 shadow, Dunn's lofty production numbers weren't replaced during the offseason. The slugger delivered 40 homers, 100 runs and 100 RBIs during four of the past five seasons.

Last season, the Reds were outscored by opponents by 96 runs. The Cubs, the consensus favorite in the National League Central Division, scored 151 more runs than the Reds. The Cardinals scored 75 more runs and Brewers had 46 more. To be serious about contending against those clubs, Cincinnati will have to narrow those gaps.

There may be no one that is a lock for 40 homers and 100 RBIs on the Reds, but six players have reasonable expectations that they can deliver 20-homer, 80-RBI seasons. Don't forget, the Reds play at Great American Ball Park -- where the fences are still friendly for hitters.

"Not to take anything away from the guys from last year, but when you add Alex Gonzalez and Ramon Hernandez to your lineup, that's some offense in and of itself, comparatively speaking, to last year," Votto said. "A lot of young players like myself have another year of experience. I think that will pay dividends."

Pitching matchup
CIN: Aaron Harang (6-17, 4.78 in 2008)
There is no other way to put it -- this will be the most critical season of Aaron Harang's career. The belief among all concerned was that Harang's 2008 season was a fluke. After all, a dependable starter like Harang, who won 16 games each in 2006 and '07, doesn't normally just fall off the map and go 6-17. It will be on Harang's shoulders to prove that it was a just one bad year.

During the offseason, Harang dropped 25 pounds and worked on his endurance. His body, especially his legs, didn't respond well to a difficult task of having to pitch three times in eight days. During an 18-inning game on May 25, Harang had to pitch four innings of relief on short rest but still returned to make his next start without an extended break. In the final 18 starts following that bullpen outing, Harang went 4-11 with a 5.71 ERA and also missed a month with a sore right forearm. His ERA was 3.50 during his first 11 starts. On the first day of spring, Baker did not waver when he said that Harang would still be his ace and Opening Day starter. That was despite the emergence of Edinson Volquez, who won 17 games and became an All-Star.

This will be the fourth straight year that Harang gets the Opening Day assignment, which is the longest streak since Jose Rijo did it four times in a row from 1992-95.

NYM: LHP Johan Santana (16-7, 2.53 ERA in 2008)
Santana has a 1-0 record in four appearances (three starts) against the Reds. His lone victory came at Shea Stadium on May 10, 2008, in a game the Mets won, 12-6. He had a no-decision in his other start against them last July 17. Santana pitched merely four innings, his shortest workday in 34 starts, in Great American Ball Park. He surrendered 16 hits, three of them home runs, and eight runs in 10 innings. His 6.75 ERA against the Reds (17 1/3 innings) is higher than his ERA against any other opponent by nearly two runs.

Santana has started merely three Opening Day games, losing to the Blue Jays in Toronto in 2006, beating the Orioles in 2007 and beating the Marlins in Miami in his Mets debut last season. He allowed five baserunners and two runs in seven innings of what became a 7-2 Mets victory.

Santana's performances in his first games -- whether or not they were Opening Day games -- haven't been consistent with his other work. In the four seasons in which he has been a full-time starter, he has a 2-1 record and a 6.10 ERA in his season debuts. Santana pitched merely 20 2/3 innings in the four games. Each was staged in a dome or a park with a retractable roof -- two in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, and one each in Safeco Field in Seattle and Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Notes:
Cincinnati has dropped three of its last five Opening Day games, including the 2008 edition by a 4-2 score against the Diamondbacks. ... The last time the Reds faced the Mets on Opening Day was April 4, 2005, in a 7-6 win. ... This will be the seventh Opening Day game played at Great American Ball Park.

Opening Day Fanfare:
Former Reds star and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson will serve as the Grand Marshall of the 90th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. Robinson will also be the game's honorary captain. ... Singer, reality TV star and Cincinnati native Nick Lachey will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Mia Carruthers, an 18-year-old student at the Cincinnati School of Performing Arts and a star of the MTV reality TV show "Taking the Stage," will perform the national anthem. ... Members of the University of Cincinnati's 2008 Big East champion football team will hold a giant American flag in the outfield during the national anthem, and the UC Marching Band will lead the crowd by playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch. ... UC head football coach Brian Kelly will deliver the official game ball to the mound for Harang. ... The Reds will honor a select group of wounded heroes -- members of our Armed Forces who were wounded in battle during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... A moment of silence will be held to honor of longtime Reds official scorer and Cincinnati sports icon Glenn Sample. The official scorer's booth will be re-named to remember Sample. ... Phillips will receive his official 2008 Rawling's Gold Glove Trophy during pregame ceremonies.

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Up next
• Tuesday: Off-day
• Wednesday: Reds (Edinson Volquez, 17-6, 3.21 in 2008) vs. Mets (TBD), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Reds (Bronson Arroyo, 15-11, 4.77 in 2008) vs. Mets (TBD), 12:35 p.m. ET