Penn Charter’s Sammy Siani selected on Day 1 of MLB draft
Bobby Witt Jr., selected second overall by Kansas City on Monday, became part of the highest father-son draft duo in MLB history.
Penn Charter center fielder Sammy Siani was taken as the 37th overall pick in Monday’s Major League Baseball first-year player draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Last year, Siani’s brother Mike was drafted in the fourth round out of Penn Charter by the Cincinnati Reds. Mike Siani ended up signing for an above-slot total of $2 million.
This season, Sammy Siani hit .457, with six home runs and 25 RBIs. Siani, who bats and throws left-handed, has accepted a scholarship to Duke.
“Our team group chat is blowing up right now,” Penn Charter coach Justin Hanley said after Siani became a competitive-balance selection after the first round. “Everybody is so excited for Sammy.”
Hanley said that the Pirates had seen Siani quite a bit.
“They always scout this area well and got to see him a lot last year, and this is really amazing," he said.
The three-day draft started, as expected, with the Baltimore Orioles picking Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman. But, the second pick made history.
The Kansas City Royals chose Texas high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Witt’s father, Bobby, was selected third overall by the Texas Rangers in the 1985 draft out of the University of Oklahoma.
That makes the Witts the highest-picked father-son duo in the draft, topping Tom Grieve, who was No. 6 in 1966 by the Washington Senators, and Ben Grieve, No. 2 in 1994 by the Oakland A’s.
The younger Witt gave his father credit and then gave him some good-natured ribbing when talking to MLB Network after his selection.
“He has been there always for me, throwing me [batting practice], and it has been a blessing having him in my life,” said the younger Witt, who played for Colleyville Heritage High. Then smiling, he added, “And now I have him beat, too.”
Nobody was supposed to beat Rutschman as the top choice.
Last season, he helped lead Oregon State to the NCAA title and was named most outstanding player of the College World Series. A switch-hitter, he batted .411 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI, and a school-record 76 walks this season. His .575 on-base percentage leads the nation. As a freshman, he was a placekicker for Oregon State’s football team.
Only one pitcher was selected among the top 10 picks. Texas Christian University 6-foot-6 left-hander Nick Lodolo was selected seventh by the Cincinnati Reds. He went 6-5 with a 2.48 ERA, 125 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 98 innings this season for the Horned Frogs.
After Witt, Cal-Berkeley first baseman Andrew Vaughn, considered by many as the best hitter in the draft, was drafted third by the Chicago White Sox. Vaughn hit .381 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, and a 1.260 OPS.
Vanderbilt outfielder J.J. Bleday was picked fourth by Miami; Riley Greene, a shortstop from Hagerty High in Florida, went fifth to Detroit; and shortstop C.J. Abrams of Blessed Trinity High in Georgia, went sixth to the San Diego Padres, before the Reds took Lodolo seventh.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Texas Tech third baseman Josh Jung to Texas at No. 8; Baylor catcher Shea Langeliers at No. 9 to Atlanta, and Arizona State outfielder Hunter Bishop at No. 10 to the San Francisco Giants.
Seven of the top 10 picks were college players.
Selecting 14th, the Phillies chose UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott.
There were 78 selections on Monday, consisting of the first two rounds and compensation and competitive balance picks after both rounds.
The draft resumes Tuesday with rounds 3 through 10 and concludes Wednesday with rounds 11 through 40.