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The Pittsburgh Pirates have seen some strong performances from their prospects in the Arizona Fall League this offseason, but perhaps no one has done more to boost their stock this autumn than outfielder Sammy Siani.
The 23-year-old has been tearing it up in the AFL, reaching base in all but one game in which he's had a plate appearance. He is slashing .387/.471/.560 with three home runs and 18 RBI through 21 games, and he's currently riding a 12-game hit streak. He also tacked on two more hits in the 2024 Fall Stars Game last weekend. Defensively, he has spent the majority of his time in right field but has played at all three outfield spots.
Siani was selected by the Pirates at No. 37 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, and his pro career has been somewhat of a slow burn.
He stalled at High-A Greensboro for parts of three seasons before a breakout year in 2024 earned him a call-up to Double-A Altoona. He had a career year at the plate last season, slashing .265/.338/.400 across both levels.
"I thought I needed to make a change, I needed to do something different and I think it’s worked out for me so far."@Pirates prospect Sammy Siani figured out his key to success is traveling along the (bat) path of least resistance: https://t.co/u9yOJWHMCe pic.twitter.com/LHISK5N240
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) November 7, 2024
Pirates prospect Sammy Siani's performance in Arizona Fall League could earn him 40-man roster spot
Siani's stellar fall performance is a welcome development for the Pirates, whose prospect pipeline has been sorely lacking in position players at the upper levels of the organization's farm system. If he keeps producing offensively, Siani could be working his way into Pittsburgh's future plans, which would warrant a spot on the club's 40-man roster.
Siani was among the AFL prospects listed by MLB.com's Sam Dykstra who are making serious cases to be added to their teams' 40-man rosters to be protected before the Rule 5 Draft takes place on Dec. 11 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas.
"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," Dykstra wrote.
The Rule 5 Draft protection deadline is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, and the Pirates would be wise to protect Siani before he has the chance to continue his meteoric rise elsewhere.
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