Cincinnati Reds: Pair of outfielders moving up the minor-league ladder

MLB.com has released their top prospects for each team. The Cincinnati Reds saw two of their young outfielders make a considerable leap into the Top 10.

While not among the Top 10 farm systems in Major League Baseball, the Cincinnati Reds still have some talented players in their minor-league ranks. MLB Pipeline recently released their Top 30 prospects for Cincinnati, which includes Stuart Fairchild and Michael Siani. Fairchild made one of the biggest moves, vaulting into the Top 10 among all Reds prospects.

Fairchild was the Reds second-round pick in 2017, going No. 38 overall. Fairchild leapt over fellow outfielder Jameson Hannah in the ranking after putting together a season in which the 23-year-old hit .264/.352/.441 with 9 home runs and 54 RBIs.

Fairchild was a non-roster invitee to spring camp and is 2-for-13 during nine Cactus League games. Fairchild has a homer and two RBIs thus far this spring and is likely to begin the 2020 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts, though it’s not inconceivable to see Fairchild make it to Triple-A Louisville before the All-Star break.

The other outfielder creeping up the Reds farm system is former fourth-round pick Michael Siani. This young man has a great deal of tools and, according to MLB Pipeline, is one of the best defenders in the Cincinnati farm system.

Siani played a full season at Single-A Dayton last season, wowing fans with his defensive web gems. Siani hit .253/.333/.339 with 10 doubles, 6 triples and 6 home runs. The power is not there yet, but Siani is only 20-years old and not expected to make his big league debut until 2022.

Right now, the Reds outfield looks like an impenetrable fortress, unwilling to allow anyone else inside. After adding Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama this offseason, the Cincinnati Reds outfield is more than full. It’s going to be a battle for the likes of Phillip Ervin, Mark Payton and Aristides Aquino to even make the roster.

However, with these two outfielders not expected to make their major league debuts until a bit further down the road, the Reds roster could undergo a dramatic change between now and the time Fairchild and Siani are ready to break into the bigs. Until then, the two promising outfielders can continue to work on their craft at the minor league level.