3 Reds prospects strangely absent from Chattanooga Lookouts roster

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: A glove and ball sit on the field before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

The Cincinnati Reds assigned 28 players to Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday. Among them were former first-round picks Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene. José García will also start his 2021 campaign with the Chattanooga Lookouts as well.

But, there are a few names that were surprisingly absent from the Lookouts Opening Day roster. The omissions would seem to indicate that the Reds front office feels as though these young prospects would be better served beginning the 2021 season at Advanced-A Dayton. Who were the most surprising prospects to be left off Chattanooga’s roster?

1. Jacob Heatherly, Reds left-handed pitching prospect

I’m very surprised to see Jacob Heatherly’s name missing from the Chattanooga Lookouts Opening Day roster. While injuries limited the left-hander to just four starts in 2019, Heatherly was the Cincinnati Reds third-round selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. With Hunter Greene having advanced to Double-A despite undergoing Tommy John surgery, you’d expect Heatherly to join him.

Heatherly, unlike Greene, does not possess an elite-level fastball. The Reds No. 17 prospect in 2020 according to MLB Pipeline, has fallen out of favor with the scouts and now finds himself not even among the Top 30 prospect in the Reds farm system.

The Reds thought highly enough of Heatherly coming out of high school that they offered thee third-round pick second-round money to sign. Now just 22-years old, it would seem that Heatherly is likely to begin the 2021 season at Advanced-A Dayton.

If Jacob Heatherly reaches his true potential, the left-hander could be a middle-of-the-rotation starter down the line. Unfortunately for Heatherly, back-to-back lost seasons will force the lefty to earn his keep and showcase his talents for the Dayton Dragons during the early-part of the 2021 season. A strong showing for Advanced-A Dayton could see him called up to Double-A sooner rather than later.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN- AUGUST 27: Cincinnati Reds prospect Michael Siani #6 of the USA Baseball 18U National Team bats. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images) /

2. Michael Siani, Reds outfield prospect

Even more surprising than Jacob Heatherly’s omission was the absence of Michael Siani from the Chattanooga Lookouts 2021 Opening Day roster. The Cincinnati Reds fourth-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft seems like he’s well on his way to making an impact.

While the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season, I expected Siani to leapfrog Advanced-A Dayton. I guess I was wrong, and Siani will likely find a home in center field for the Dayton Dragons to begin his 2021 campaign.

Siani is one of the most exciting young prospects in the Cincinnati Reds farm system. His blend of speed and defense will make some fans reminisce about Billy Hamilton’s time in Queen City. However, much like Hamilton, Siani is going to have to find ways to get on base in order to make his speed on the base paths part of his repertoire.

His career .338 on-base percentage suggests that Siani is on the right path, but being sure the young outfielder maintains that level of play as he ascends through the Reds minor league systems is essential. Siani isn’t going to wow you with power, but if he can find his way to a .330 on-base percentage, that alone will get him to the big leagues.

Nick Senzel better not get too comfortable in center field because sooner or later Michael Siani will be the Cincinnati Reds starting centerfielder. It’s been good to see David Bell utilize Senzel as an infielder and outfielder in recent games. That will eventually allow Siani to supplant the former first-round pick on a regular basis once he shows the ability to hit major league caliber pitching.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 27: A detail view of a Cincinnati Reds red and glove against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

3. Lyon Richardson, Reds right-handed pitching prospect

While a good majority of Cincinnati Reds fans are excited to see the major league debuts of both Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene, there’s another young pitching prospect who may be grab the attention of Reds Country very soon. Lyon Richardson, the Reds second-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft was left off the Chattanooga Lookouts Opening Day roster.

Now, Richardson is only 21-years old, so there’s no need to rush the right-hander through the minor leagues, but his stuff is nasty and there’s a good chance he could find his way to Double-A Chattanooga very quickly.

Richardson, a former high school outfielder, has a great deal of athletic ability. Richardson doesn’t do any one thing great, but does a lot of things very well. This spring, Richardson saw the field during a few spring training games, and his velocity was back up to the mid-90s.

Lyon Richardson has a very repeatable delivery and reminds me quite a bit of Tyler Mahle. Nothing too flashy, but gets the job done. Look for Richardson to get a few games under his belt at Advanced-A Dayton to begin the season before heading to Double-A Chattanooga sometime this summer.

Next. 3 Reds prospects who could debut in 2021

The trio of Jacob Heatherly, Michael Siani, and Lyon Richardson are likely to begin the season at Advanced-A Dayton, but don’t expect those three young prospects to stay there for very long. Heatherly, Siani, and Richardson will find their way onto the Chattanooga Lookouts roster sometime this summer, and there’s a chance they could move up to Triple-A before the 2021 season’s up.

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