3 Reds prospects strangely absent from Chattanooga Lookouts roster

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.

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.