2021 Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings - Mike Siani is your #9 prospect!
Find me a better defensive CF. I’ll wait.
With plus-plus-plus defense in CF, a laser for an arm, and elite prowess on the bases all known quantities, it was no surprise the Cincinnati Reds were enamored with Michael Siani in the 2018 MLB Draft. That alone was enough to dole out a well-above-slot $2 million to entice him to turn pro and forego his ride to the University of Virginia, and while he’s been a predictable work in progress since then, there’s still a ton to love about the kid.
His hit tool is still developing, but there’s a good eye at the plate already in place along with some unlocked power in the bat, and the upside is something akin to Kevin Kiermaier with a better OBP. Considering the last we saw of him he was a 19 year old up against 21-23 year olds with Class A Dayton, we should still have all the patience in the world with him. Even if those aspects of Siani’s game don’t ever show up, though, the 21 year old is already big league ready defensively, and that alone should carve out a professional career for years at some point soon.
Siani is the #9 prospect in the Reds system according to you, the voters. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion he’ll be higher that than next year, too.
On to the voting for #10!
Tyler Callihan, INF, 20
Where he spent 2020: Alternate Site/Instructs
What excites you: Scouts say the kid can hit. That’s his calling card, with a higher hit tool, decent power, and scouts expect his plate discipline to be better than he’s shown.
What scares you: He’s not fast. He’s not rated well in the field. He’s not overly athletic.
Tyler Callihan was drafted in the third round of the 2019 draft, and the Reds threw a double slot bonus of $1.5M at him to keep him from going the ‘ol college route. Callihan is loved by scouts, and considered a great pick up by the Reds due to his great hit tool as a youngster. While he showed a more aggressive approach in his first year than you’d like, Callihan did hit for a wRC+ of 176 in Greeneville and held his own in limited time in Billings against competition fresh from college. While he only walked at a 4% clip, and struck out at a near 20% clip, the scouts expect him to be more patient in the future.
Tyler Callihan has an A+ name, and he has a fun and fancy hit tool. The obvious downside to his game is that his ability to hit is really his only calling card. Not saying he’s bad at other stuff, but he is not a five tool prospect. As of right now he’s listed as a 2B/3B, but it’s much more likely for him to become a 3B/OF with his tool set. Don’t expect him to set the world on fire on the basepaths or start making highlight reel defensive plays.
Rece Hinds, 3B, 20
Where he spent 2020: Alternate site
What excites you: His power. Many considered him to have the best power in the 2019 draft.
What concerns you: Concerns of defense sticking at 3B.
The Reds drafted Rece Hinds in the second round of the 2019 draft. As a shortstop at IMG Academy in Florida, Hinds had some of the best raw power in the entire class. He was sent to Greeneville after the draft, where he went 0-8 with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in 3 games and then missed the rest of the season with a quad injury. The Reds did invite him to be a part of the 60-man player pool, so he was able to train at the alternate site throughout the Summer and Fall to continue his development, and by all accounts he played pretty well.
Hopefully we get to see him for a full season in 2021, as he’s a prospect with immense power potential and incredibly quick hands at the plate. While finding a position for him long-term will be as much an issue as the swing-and-miss in his game, that’s something that can be said for most of modern baseball at the moment.
Ivan Johnson, SS/2B, 22
Where he spent 2020: Alternate site/instructs
What excites you: His offense. Has a little power in the bat and showed a willingness to walk in his first stint.
What concerns you: His hit tool a bit and ability to stick at SS, though scouts seem to think he’ll stick there.
Here we go with another guy the Reds drafted in that 2019 draft, which seems so far to be one that scouts liked. Ivan Johnson was taken with a 4th round pick out of Junior College after initially plying his trade at the University of Georgia. In his first stint in pro ball, he did walk at a 8.5% clip and had a .160 ISO but was also playing against some more inferior competition at Greeneville while his draftmate, Tyler Callihan, got a late season promotion to Billings. There is a tiny bit of concern about his age, 22, and not having been advanced farther than that. COVID and 2020 did not help him prove doubters wrong there.
It will be interesting to see if the Reds will try to be a bit more aggressive with these kinds of guys to see what they’re made of with the new minor league structure and the fact that they just didn’t see much live pitching, outside of whatever happened in instructs, last year. For now, Johnson appears to be relatively high-floor type guy who has mostly shown what he is.
Christian Roa, RHP, 22
Where he spent 2020: Texas A&M University
What excites you: A three-pitch mix with starting potential, a history of throwing strikes, and a big frame.
What concerns you: Fastball velocity, which was only just a tick above average, dipped a bit during SEC play in 2020.
The second member of the Reds 2020 draft class, Roa was the 48th overall selection after a brief junior season at Texas A&M that can only be described as odd. His 20.0 IP featured an ugly 14 runs allowed (13 ER), and the 9 walks he issued in that short time left his BB/9 well higher than his command-heavy numbers from previous years, but he backed that with a ridiculous 35 Ks in that time.
The velocity dip was concerning for his production then, but doesn’t appear to be anything structural or worrisome down the line. His fastball sits 93-95 when righty, with potential plus offerings in his breaking ball and changeup. It’s that three-pitch mix that has the 6’4” 220 lb Houston native an arm to watch closely in the coming years, as there’s a chance his potential paired with the ability to throw strikes could have him move quickly through the minors. Kyle Boddy, for one, spoke glowingly of this Trackman data and mechanics in an interview with FanGraphs’ David Laurila las summer, which never hurts.