When 2018 began, Mike Siani was playing high school baseball in Philadelphia. He entered the year as a highly regarded prospect, but his senior year was inconsistent and it caused some teams to lower him in their draft pool. The Cincinnati Reds weren’t one of those teams. While he was selected in the 4th round by the organization he was given the second largest signing bonus in the draft by the organization.
After signing in early July, the Reds sent Mike Siani to join the Greeneville Reds in the Appalachian League. His first week of professional baseball was spent on the road taking on Burlington and Kingsport. He would go 6-23 that first week, walking twice and being hit by two more pitches. The next week went much better for Siani, who celebrated his 19th birthday that week. In six games he went 10-25 (.400) with six walks, two strikeouts, two home runs, and three doubles. He would go 8-20 over the next five games, but the last three of the month were a struggle as the outfielder went 0-14. Overall in his 20 games played during July he hit .293/.383/.427. That came with 10 walks and 17 strikeouts in 94 plate appearances.
August got out to a quick start for Mike Siani. He went 9-18 over the first week with two walks and two strikeouts. That carried over into the second week as he racked up another 10 hits in 28 at-bats (.357 average) – but he struck out nine times with one walk. The final two weeks of the season were a struggle for Siani. In the last 14 games he went 10-56 (.179) with two doubles and two triples. It was a tale of two halves in the month, but he hit .284/.324/.353 in 111 plate appearances. That came with six walks and 18 strikeouts.
For all 2018 Season Reviews and Scouting Reports – click here (these will come out during the week throughout the offseason).
Mike Siani Spray Chart
Mike Siani Scouting Report
Hitting | This is the biggest area of contention among scouts. The believers think that he could hit for a solid average. Some believe that he will need to rework his swing or he will have a below-average hit tool.
Power | He’s got below-average power potential. Where he does have some pop is to his pull side. Double-digit home runs isn’t out of the question at his peak.
Speed | He’s a plus speed guy who can use it on the bases and in the field.
Defense | This is where Mike Siani shines. He’s got plus speed, but it plays up in the field with strong routes and reads. He’s a plus defender in center.
Arm | His arm is above-average to plus.
Depending on who you talk to will give you a different view on the overall outlook for Mike Siani. The hit-tool is the big difference maker. Those who believe in the swing see a guy who could be an average to slightly above-average hitter, giving him an above-average profile as a future big leaguer thanks to the rest of his game. Those on the other side of the argument think his swing as currently constructed is going to lead to contact problems and a below-average hit-tool, making him profile more as a 4th/5th outfielder.
At just 19-years-old, there’s a whole lot of time left to sort that out. Currently, he uses the entire field – in fact, going the other way more than he pulls the ball. If he’s going to get the most out of his power, that will have to change over time. He shows a good grasp of the strikezone. But, it’s not the offense that gets most people talking. Defensively he sticks out at one of the premium positions on the field. He projects to be a difference maker in the field. That’s going to mean he won’t have to hit as much as your typical center fielder to provide the same kind of value.
Longest Home Run of the Year
380 Feet on July 19th.
Interesting Stat on Mike Siani
He was a very different hitter on the road, where he hit .316/.382/.427, as opposed to a .239/.297/.313 line at home.