Glenside Native Sammy Siani Selected 37th Overall In MLB Draft

GLENSIDE, PA — The Pittsburgh Pirates have selected Glenside native and Penn Charter graduate Sammy Siani in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Siani, 18, went as the 37th overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A, which immediately follows the first round. He was widely seen as one of the best recruits out of Pennsylvania, and was ranked 43rd overall in MLB.com's pre-draft analysis.

Scouts have described Siani over the past few years as a naturally gifted left handed hitter who could become an average or even above average defensive outfielder. It's his bat that the Pirates are surely after, however, with a scouting report from Perfect Game calling him a "potentially very high level offensive prospect."

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He has already committed to Duke University, but it is not uncommon for draft prospects with college committments to turn pro so long as they are offered the right deal. It's estimated the Pirates would have spend about $2 million to sign him.

"Sam Siani is without question one of the best players in all of the country in the 2019 class,” Duke head coach Chris Pollard said, according to a university announcement when Siani made his committment back in Nov. 2018. "He has a tremendous hit tool from the left side and he’s a very good runner. A true center fielder, Sam goes and gets the ball from gap to gap. Coming from a great baseball family, he has a great motor and plays the game very hard.”

Sammy's brother Michael, who is a year older, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth round of the 2018 raft.