{"id":78173,"date":"2024-06-28T12:21:41","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T16:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=78173"},"modified":"2024-06-28T12:21:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T16:21:41","slug":"rookie-outfielder-defensive-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/06\/28\/rookie-outfielder-defensive-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardinals Rookie Outfielder Is A Defensive Weapon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>St. Louis Cardinals Rookie Outfielder <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sianimi01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Siani<\/a> is proving to be a defensive weapon for the team. Siani has had the opportunity to play through a gauntlet of injuries and underperformance from other outfielders on the team. He has made himself indispensable to the team through his defensive play.<\/p>\n<h2>Cardinals Rookie Outfielder Is A Defensive Weapon<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe\u2019s been unbelievable in center, one of the best center fielders in the game right now,&#8221; said Cardinals Manager <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/03\/15\/oliver-marmol-cardinals-extension\/\" target=\"_self\">Oliver Marmol<\/a> after the team&#8217;s win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday. &#8220;His first step is incredible; he has saved us multiple times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Best Defensive Outfielder According To Advanced Stats<\/h3>\n<p>Pick an advanced statistic, and Siani is a league leader in it. He&#8217;s tied for the league lead in fielding run value with Washington&#8217;s Jacob Young at 10. He&#8217;s tied for the league lead with Texas&#8217; Marcus Semien in Outs Above Average at 12. Siani also has the highest outfielder catch probability in MLB according to <a  href=\"https:\/\/baseballsavant.mlb.com\/savant-player\/michael-siani-672279?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baseball Savant.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe plays that really impress me the most are when he\u2019s inches from the ground. Because once it gets to that level it kind of goes out of eyesight,&#8221; said Cardinals outfielder Tommy Edman on Thursday. &#8220;So being able to know where the ball is going when it\u2019s that close to the ground is really impressive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#STLCards<\/a> CF Michael Siani did it again, making another sliding catch of a sinking liner.<\/p>\n<p>Statcast metrics:<\/p>\n<p>Exit velocity: 104.8 mph<br \/>\nSprint speed: 24.2 FT\/SEC<br \/>\nDistance covered: 49 feet<br \/>\nOpportunity time: 3.3 SEC<br \/>\nCatch probability: 10 percent <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fdIPZnYn1K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/fdIPZnYn1K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnDenton555\/status\/1806106406870814896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Seeming to specialize in dazzling diving catches, Siani&#8217;s defensive play has held leads for the Cardinals and kept them in games at times.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been playing really good baseball,&#8221; Siani said after the Cardinals series win over the Braves. &#8220;So, it\u2019s good to be able to contribute in that way out in the outfield. I want to continue to do that and stay aggressive out there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Getting A Good Jump<\/h3>\n<p>Siani has the fourth best outfield jump in Baseball at 3.3 feet above average in the first three seconds off the bat. It&#8217;s a skill that gives him the chance to make the difficult catches. It&#8217;s also one he works on daily.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI take jumps during batting practice,&#8221; Siani said this week. &#8220;Not necessarily chasing balls down and running all over the field for it, but just working on those first three to five steps. Couple hard breaks, making sure my direction is right and I\u2019m putting myself in a good spot to go get the balls when the game starts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Michael Siani goes FULL EXTENSION! \ud83d\ude31 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kaB6mfIQe4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/kaB6mfIQe4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Cardinals\/status\/1805388992118145105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 24, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Siani covers an average of 37.6 feet on his jumps. That&#8217;s the fifth best raw number in baseball. It&#8217;s something his teammates have taken notice of.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe gets really good jumps, really good reads. Seems like he\u2019s always off running right when the ball is hit,&#8221; Edman said. &#8220;So, it\u2019s been fun to watch, I\u2019ve learned a thing or two from watching him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stepping Up For The Cardinals<\/h3>\n<p>The Cardinals started the season with their projected starting outfield all on the IL. Lars Nootbaar has <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/05\/31\/cardinals-outfielder-il-oblique\/\" target=\"_self\">missed further time<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/04\/30\/dylan-carlson-rehab-assignment-cardinals\/\" target=\"_self\">Dylan Carlson<\/a> has struggled since his return to the team, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/03\/04\/tommy-edman-cardinals-opening-day\/\" target=\"_self\">Edman has yet to play<\/a> this season.<\/p>\n<p>The outfield situation was further complicated this season after a slow start forced the team to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/04\/24\/cardinals-former-top-prospect\/\" target=\"_self\">send Jordan Walker down<\/a> to Triple-A. The former top prospect has yet to return to the team after nearly two months in the minors.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#STLCards<\/a> have stuck to their mantra of being better defensively, and that&#8217;s exactly why Michael Siani is their starting CF. Statcast metrics on this catch:<\/p>\n<p>Starting depth: 329 FT<br \/>\nDistance covered: 101 FT<br \/>\nSpring speed: 29.1 FT\/SEC<br \/>\nCatch probability: 65%<br \/>\nHang time: 5.4 secs <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vKqwTN3LYh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/vKqwTN3LYh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnDenton555\/status\/1784014342800752690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 27, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Siani is among the best defensive center fielders in Baseball. Providing the team with security in the field. However, he has not been known for his hitting. In the past month that has changed. His season-long slash line is .234\/.274\/.323. In the past month he has improved, having a .270\/.277\/.397 slash line in the last 30 days.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think it\u2019s just having better at-bats,&#8221; Siani said this week. &#8220;Going up there with a plan and sticking with it. Putting in a lot of work in the cages and making sure that I\u2019m where I want to be with my swing and my approach. Just continue to do that and develop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Nootbaar is nearing a rehab assignment and Edman has resumed baseball activities. However, even when fully healthy, Siani has earned a spot as a key player on the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/06\/11\/alec-burleson-confidence-cardinals\/\" target=\"_self\">playoff-contending<\/a> Cardinals.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credits: <em>Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>St. Louis Cardinals Rookie Outfielder Michael Siani is proving to be a defensive weapon for the team. Siani has had the opportunity to play through a gauntlet of injuries and underperformance from other outfielders on the team. He has made himself indispensable to the team through his defensive play. Cardinals Rookie Outfielder Is A Defensive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5111,"featured_media":78200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1071,25],"tags":[1137,3338,28477,6383,5478,2720,28577,6420,3899],"class_list":["post-78173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-mlb","category-cardinals","tag-cardinals-outfield","tag-dylan-carlson","tag-jacob-young","tag-jordan-walker","tag-lars-nootbaar","tag-marcus-semien","tag-michael-siani","tag-oliver-marmol","tag-tommy-edman"],"modified_by":"Evan Mazza, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}