This article was made available to supporters on Patreon several days ago, who got early access as a perk for supporting the site. If you are interested in supporting the work here, check out how to do that at Patreon.com/RedsMinorLeagues.
As you have likely noticed, Jose Siri has been getting plenty of national attention for both his 39-game hitting streak and for his season as a whole as things start to wind down in 2017. Last week he was named as the top player in several categories among Midwest League players for having the top tool as a base runner and defensive outfielder.
The just turned 22-year-old Jose Siri has been on a tear since late May. Starting on May 21st, the outfielder has hit .338/.373/.643 for the Dayton Dragons. He has also stolen 18 bases in that time frame. It’s a run that we haven’t seen on the Cincinnati Reds farm system for quite a while.
The numbers speak for themselves – he’s crushed the ball this season. He’s hitting .297/.341/.527 on the season. His OPS of .868 is 164 points higher than the Midwest League average of .704. His 19 home runs are tied for second in the league. He leads the league with 34 steals. With a strong close to the year he could finish with 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases.
Jose Siri Scouting Report
Hitting: In terms of his pure hit tool, there is plenty to like with Jose Siri. He can use the entire field and he can hit the ball hard to all parts of the field.
Power: He’s already showing good power on the field and there’s more in the tank. He’s a potential 30 home run hitter if things go right for him in his development.
Speed: While he’s not quite at the very top of the range in speed, he’s very close. He’s a 70 grade runner, showing off plus-plus speed in the field and on the bases.
Defense: He uses his plus-plus speed in center field to show off outstanding range. He glides in the field and is a well above-average defender who should have no problem excelling in center over the long haul.
Arm: He shows an above-average arm in terms of strength, though at times he does show some inaccuracy with it. It will play well anywhere on the field.
From a pure tools perspective, Jose Siri stands out among everyone in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Across the board he’s got above-average to plus-plus tools. It’s the one area that isn’t considered a tool where there are the biggest questions for Siri.
He currently has 25 walks and 108 strikeouts on the season. That’s a strikeout-to-walk ratio nearing 4.0. Very few guys are able to have a ratio in that range and be productive big league starters. Some guys have been able to make it work. Adam Duvall is a good example, who had a 4.0 ratio in 2016 and is at 4.4 this season for the Reds.
With that said, having that ratio in the Midwest League is not the same as having it in the Majors. Jose Siri has come a long way in the last year when it comes to his pitch recognition and plate discipline. There’s still work to do, but the strides he’s made have been impressive. The slider is still the pitch that gives him the most problems from a recognition standpoint.
Due to that, Jose Siri is going to be the kind of player that will have to answer the question of “can he adjust to better pitching” with each next step that he takes. Some guys are able to make that adjustment. Some guys, however, struggle to do so once they reach a certain level where pitchers can locate that pitch where they want to. With the improvements he’s shown in this category over the last year, the hope is that it can continue moving in the right direction.
There may not be a more boom-or-bust kind of player than Jose Siri in the entire system. If things go boom, you could be looking at a gold glove outfielder who can steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs. There’s some risk, though, too. If he’s unable to continue to develop his pitch recognition skills, more advanced pitchers could lead to him being a guy who struggles to hit in the upper levels of the minor leagues and never hits enough to reach the Major Leagues for any meaningful amount of time.