One of the more popular Houston Astros is outfielder George Springer. He’s the reigning World Series MVP and donates plenty of his time and money to worthy causes locally and nationally. Possibly the only way to improve on the Astros’ clubhouse leader might be to make him left-handed. Enter center fielder Mike Siani.

Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft takes place June 4-6 in Secaucus, NJ. The Houston Astros own the 28th overall selection, and scribes and pundits have compiled mock drafts the last few weeks, trying to nail down who might go where.

UPDATE: Fourth-rounder Mike Siani has agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Reds, tweets FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. The deal will pay Siani $2MM, which comes in over slot value. Siani, by signing, is giving up a scholarship offer from the University of Virginia to join Cincinnati’s minor league ranks.

Related: 2018 Houston Astros Mock Draft Roundup

FanGraphs, in their recent mock draft, has the William Penn Charter High School (Philadelphia) left-hand hitting Siani as the Astros’ selection. They also mention Cleveland is on Siani, too, at #29, and the New York Yankees have been mentioned by some as having an interest in him at #23.

It has been reported that Siani has received in-home visits from nearly every major league club, and Houston’s scouting department was likely well-represented at some point. He is being advised by New York’s Excel Sports Management, which represents Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson, among others.

“It’s something that I’ve had to get used to,” Siani said recently of the scouting scrutiny. “It’s just another game for me – I try not to get too into it. I just do my own thing and try to have fun.”

Mirror Image?

Both Springer and Siani are from the northeast. Whereas Springer was born in New Britain, CT, Siani hails from Glenside, PA, 14 miles north of Philadelphia. In fact, both New Britain to the north and Glenside to the south are virtually equidistant from New York City, by roughly 100 miles each.

Like the 6’3″, 205-lb Springer for the Astros, Siani bats leadoff for the Penn Charter Quakers. From an April 5, 2018, Philadelphia Inquirer article, see if this Siani talent blurb doesn’t sound like an early Springer scouting report:

“Siani has a cannon for an arm, is a solid gap hitter, extremely quick on the base paths and in the field, and has an exit velocity of about 100 mph. He is also a poised leader, well-liked teammate, and clutch performer.”

Siani runs a 6.60 60-yard dash; Springer ran a 6.84 in high school.

Siani batted .370 with 35 runs scored, 30 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases while earning Inquirer first-team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania honors for the 2017 season.

While Siani currently fills out at 6′, 190 pounds, he was once a 5’11”, 180-lb Penn Charter sophomore. Stunningly, Springer played on his New Britain High School varsity baseball team as a freshman standing only 5’2″ and weighing 100 pounds!

Would He Sign?

While committing to Virginia as a freshman, Siani sounds like an easy sign, this June, if it’s to the “right team”: “I’ve always dreamed of playing in the major leagues,” the 18-year-old told the Inquirer. “We’ll see what happens with the draft. If everything works out the way I hope, I’m certainly open to turning pro right away.”

Last September, Siani helped lead USA Baseball’s 18-and-under national team to a spotless 9-0 record in World Cup play in Thunder Bay, Canada. He hit .350 as the team’s captain and was named to the all-World team.

Oh yeah, Siani also recently got his ring (his USA Baseball 2017 World Cup championship ring), about a month after Springer picked up his World Series championship ring with the rest of his team, in April.

Siani and his team skunked Korea, 8-0, in the final at Thunder Bay’s Port Arthur Stadium, capping a month-long trip that included trials at USA Baseball’s training complex in Cary, NC, and the University of Minnesota.

Siani also participated in the renowned Area Code Games in Long Beach (CA) as part of a Northeast regional team that represented the Yankees, and played games in a round-robin format. Siani was selected as the event’s most valuable player.

Rah-Rah For the Blue & Yellow

Last season, the Quakers went 26-2 overall, and 9-1 in league action. But, due to persistent rain in the east, Siani has only played in six games so far this spring (the prep season generally starts late in the Northeast, anyway). This week, though, Siani was named to the 2018 All-Inter-Ac Baseball Team.

Like many prep players, Siani has spent time on the mound (occasionally touching 94 mph), but MLB scouts will only be considering him as a position player, as his most projectable assets clearly point in that direction, including 90+ mph throws from the outfield.

“He can hit for average, he’s quick, he’s got a great arm, and he’s got ‘game’ speed,” Penn Charter first-year coach (but sixth year in the program) Justin Hanley said recently, describing his gifted outfielder. “His first step out of the batter’s box and when tracking down a fly ball is impressive.”

And, in a recent Chestnut Hill Local article, Hanley continued to trumpet Siani’s praises: “He’s got all the intangibles, and his baseball IQ is unparalleled. He’s like a fourth coach sometimes because he knows when to handle a situation to prevent me from getting after a kid. He’s fantastic.”

Mike Axisa filed this scouting report in the May 18 River Ave Blues post: “At the plate, the left-handed swinging Siani has good power, but mostly employs a slash-and-dash approach that allows him to use his speed. Once he reaches base, he’s a threat to steal as well. Siani has performed well against elite competition during showcase events, though he has not faced great competition as an amateur overall. It’s worth noting Siani has drawn praise for his work ethic and high energy play.”

Axisa added this far more general aside, as well: “Many clubs have refocused their Northeast scouting coverage after Mike Trout (from New Jersey) slipped through the cracks, so while Siani has not played much this spring, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of eyes on him in the coming weeks.” (Trout was drafted 25th overall in 2009 by the Angels, using a compensation pick from the Yankees for their signing of Mark Teixeira).