Pirates Prospect Making Push For 40-Man Roster
No prospect has done more to boost their stock on the Pittsburgh Pirates than outfielder Sammy Siani.
As a result, he could be working his way into the Pirates' plans in the future, which could warrant a move onto the 40-man roster. MLB.com's Sam Dykstra broke down the prospects in the AFL who are making a push onto their team's 40-man roster to be protected when the Rule-5 Draft takes place on Dec. 11 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. Among those who Dykstra made touted to be on a 40-man roster was Siani.
"The 2019 37th overall pick has continued his work in the box this fall with positive results," Dykstra wrote on Monday. "He leads the league with a .406 average while ranking third in hits (26), fourth in OBP (.472), fifth in slugging (.594) and sixth in OPS (1.066). He’s also played all three outfield spots, getting more time in right where he has two assists, and his above-average speed should be helpful anywhere on the grass. The Pirates have only one Top 30 prospect in need of Rule 5 protection this year (No. 26 Omar Alfonzo), leaving space for a potential future fourth outfielder like Siani to get 40-man protection while his trajectory points upward."
The Rule 5 Draft protection deadline is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
Siani has ripped the cover off of the ball in the AFL, having reached base in all but one game he's had a plate appearance in. The left-handed hitting outfielder has amassed three home runs and 17 RBIs and has slashed .389/.457/.556 through 20 games. He also made the All-Star game and tallied two more hits.
Siani added one more hit with an RBI single on Tuesday in the Scottsdale Scorpions' 11-2 win over the Mesa Solar Sox, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
For a Pirates farm system that needs position players to make their way through the pipeline, Siani's performance has been everything they could have hoped for. It's also a continuation of a strong 2024 season after he hit nine home runs, drove in 48 runs and slashed .265/.338/.400 across High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
With how Siani has performed throughout 2024, it'd make sense for Pittsburgh to protect the left-handed hitting outfielder and make sure he doesn't continue his ascension elsewhere.
Siani and the Scorpions (14-14) play again on Wednesday against the Peoria Javelinas (7-19) at 3:30 p.m. ET.
