Elite centerfielder rated as best defensive prospect in the Reds farm system

Michael Siani is still trying to figure things out at the plate, but according to MLB.com, the centerfielder is already the Cincinnati Reds best defensive prospect. Siani was a former fourth-round pick and is likely to start the 2022 season at Double-A Chattanooga.

Siani's glove is elite. To make things better, Siani has terrific speed as well. The No. 109 overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft will look to boost his offensive profile this season, and could set his sights on making his major league debut in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Michael Siani is an elite defender.

Defensively, Michael Siani could give Billy Hamilton a run for his money. Unfortunately, Siani has displayed similar traits to Hamilton at the dish as well. But, perhaps his time spent in the desert this past fall showed what 22-year-old was capable of. Siani took the field for the Surprise Sanguaros in the Arizona Fall League late last year.

Siani appeared in 13 games for Surprise with 12 starts last fall. In 51 plate appearances, Siani slashed an impressive .300/.451/.450 with three doubles and a home run. The .901 OPS is a big improvement from the .648 OPS Siani logged in 97 games with High-A Dayton last season.

Siani did improve his walk-rate last season, jumping from 8.7% in 2019 to 12.3% last season. If a player with Siani's speed can be that patient at the plate, he can cause havoc on the base paths. Siani stole 30 bases last season after swiping 45 bags during his previous minor league campaign.

Unfortunately, Michael Siani's strikeout-rate went up as well. After posting a K-rate of 20.5% in 2019, Siani went down swinging about once every four at-bats (25.2%). Even with an increased walk-rate, Siani's BB/K (0.49) showed little improvement.

But, from a defensive standpoint, MLB.com got it 100% right. No one in the Cincinnati Reds farm system has a better glove than Siani. Jose Torres, last year's third-round pick, is also a top-shelf defender, as is Reds outfield prospect Justice Thompson.