SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Gamers could be a cussed type, however Sammy Siani knew one thing needed to change. The Pirates outfield prospect was coming into his third season with Excessive-A Greensboro and had hit simply .217 over 2022 and ‘23 mixed with a 33.7 p.c strikeout price. When upward mobility is the secret, nobody needs to get that comfy within the South Atlantic League.
“I had a few seasons the place I wasn’t proud of my outcomes,” Siani stated. “I assumed I wanted to make a change, I wanted to do one thing completely different and I believe it’s labored out for me thus far.”
The difference-maker has been altering his bat path. Over these first two years, he was method too steep together with his strategy, an enormous contributor to the swing-and-miss. He tried to do an excessive amount of and being extra direct to the ball has enabled him to maximise the instruments he has far more persistently.
“The large factor was fixing my path, flattening that out, attending to extra fastballs and doing the issues I do know I’m actually good at,” Siani stated. “It’s been large for me. It’s been actually, actually useful, minimizing strikeouts, simply placing the ball in play.”
The outcomes converse for themselves. Now 23, the No. 37 decide within the 2019 MLB Draft had a .966 OPS over 20 video games with Greensboro to begin the ‘24 season, lastly incomes a visit as much as Double-A Altoona for the primary time. Whereas he wasn’t as productive with the Curve (.254/.325/.368), he continued to work on adjusting his path and making constant contact. The most important indicator? His Ok price plummeted to 18.9 p.c.
He’s continued that development with a really spectacular displaying within the Arizona Fall League. He’s hit in all however two of his 17 video games for the Scottsdale Scorpions, together with going 2-for-3 together with his third dwelling run of the autumn on Wednesday evening, displaying he can nonetheless get to his sneaky pop with out that steep path.
“I knew he was a fastball-cutter-slider man,” Siani stated of Braves right-hander Landon Harper, whom he took deep to right-center subject for a solo shot within the fifth inning of an eventual 8-1 Scorpions victory. “For me, it was keep on the fastball, see him middle-away and await that cutter to come back down the center and keep in entrance of it. And that’s what I attempted to do.”
After his two-hit evening — he additionally drove in a run with a two-out single within the first — Siani stands second on the circuit together with his .407 common. He’s sixth in slugging (.610) and OPS (1.088) whereas persevering with to maintain his strikeouts to a minimal (19.4 p.c).
If he retains displaying his new swing may also help him be productive on the plate, Siani has an opportunity to be a invaluable fourth-outfielder kind within the massive leagues. He’s proven he can defend in all three outfield spots effectively. This shouldn’t shock anybody, given the actual fact his older brother, Michael Siani, is among the higher defensive middle fielders within the sport who simply spent the 12 months patrolling for the Cardinals. There’s a 3rd Siani outfielder as effectively, with youngest brother Jake ending up his taking part in profession at Johns Hopkins College. Try the William Penn Constitution College archives in japanese Pennsylvania and also you’ll discover one sport by which all three Sianis performed the outfield on the similar time.
“The best way we had been raised, we play the sport actually exhausting,” Siani stated. “I at all times discuss to Mike and my little brother too about baseball. We’re at all times bouncing concepts off one another, studying from one another. Having Mike as a task mannequin as a younger child was superior as a result of I noticed the best way the sport is meant to be performed. It’s nice having him within the bigs simply to be taught from him.”
