Pirates Prospect Continuing to Improve at Plate

The Pittsburgh Pirates prospect has been one of the best hitters during the Arizona Fall LEa

Nathaniel Marrero

Apr 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Batting helmet belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) inside the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Apr 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Batting helmet belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) inside the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Arizona Fall League often serves as an opportunity for players to elevate their game to another level as they look to build momentum heading into the ensuing season.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Sammy Siani has made the most of the AFL through 17 games. Siani continued his strong performance on Wednesday when he went 2-3 with a solo home run and two RBIs in the Scottsdale Scorpions' 8-1 win over the Peoria Javelinas.

Siani's play in the AFL has been a continuation of a strong 2024 season. He reached Double-A Altoona for the first time in his career and finished the year with nine home runs and 48 RBIs for the second consecutive season, though, he improved his slash numbers, going from hitting .231./337/.364 in 2023 to .265.338/.400 last season.

The left-handed hitting outfield prospect spoke with MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo on the adjustments he has made to improve after only being able to reach High-A Greensboro through his first three full seasons in the minors. Among those adjustments were altering his swing path and hunting the fastball.

“The big thing was fixing my path, flattening that out, getting to more fastballs and doing the things I know I’m really good at,” Siani said. “It’s been huge for me. It’s been really, really helpful, minimizing strikeouts, just putting the ball in play.”

Siani is second in the AFL with a .407 batting average and he also ranks in the top ten in hits (24), RBIs (16), on-base percentage (.478), slugging percentage (.610) and OPS (1.088). He's also hit three home runs.

Siani's ability to target the fastball and adjust off of that led to his third home run in the AFL on Wednesday. With a 1-0 count in the bottom of the fifth inning, he turned around a cutter from Atlanta Braves right-handed pitching prospect Landon Harper for a solo home run over the right-center-field wall.

“I knew he was a fastball-cutter-slider guy,” Siani said. “For me, it was stay on the fastball, see him middle-away and wait for that cutter to come down the middle and stay in front of it. And that’s what I tried to do.”

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates

Published
Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Home/News