When it comes to the minor league journey a player goes on after being drafted, most successful early careers look like Anthony Giansanti’s. The Chicago Cubs Double-A outfielder has made a steady rise up the ranks since being drafted in the 49th round of the 2009 MLB draft out of Siena College in New York. Since 2013 he’s bounced back and forth between the Double-A Tennessee Smokies and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, right on the cusp of making that jump to the major leagues.
Giansanti was assigned back to the Smokies to begin the 2016 season and didn’t take it as a disappointment at all.
“I’m equally as excited as I was my first year (here),” Giansanti said. “I’ve been telling all the first-year guys that this is an absolutely amazing place to play. Whether it be the fanbase, the surrounding area, management and front office, I’m ready to take the field with this group of guys. The entire city is in for a treat with this team.”
Five @SienaBaseball @SienaAlumni Set to Continue Pursuits of @MLB Dreams → https://t.co/CuI0NcqMkf #SienaSaints pic.twitter.com/g62RFdtqt9
— Siena Saints (@SienaSaints) April 8, 2016
Giansanti is back as part of a compete outfield with the Smokies. Sportscenter regular Jacob Hannemann and No. 7 Cubs prospect Billy McKinney both return along with Bijan Rademacher, who opened up his Smokies campaign this season with a solo home run as a pinch hitter in Tennesee’s 7-3 win over the Mobile BayBears Thursday night.
“It’s exciting (to play with the same outfield),” Giansanti said. “They’re equally as good as teammates and people as they are as players. That’s one of the things people look past. They’re unbelievable teammates and play the right way.”
https://twitter.com/GianSanity/status/717041644210487296
While Giansanti’s defense has improved over his last two seasons, his offensive production has waned. In 2014 Giansanti hitting .296 combined for Iowa and Tennessee. Last year his average dropped to .231, but a managerial change for the Smokies may end up making all the difference. Mark Johnson comes to Sevierville after winning back-to-back titles for the Cubs in Low-A Kane County and High-A Myrtle Beach.
“He (Johnson) is not all Xs and Os, he manages his players,” Giansanti said. “He has such a good feel of what’s going on with his players. That’s why the guy has won two straight rings. The minor league is a grind and he’s won two in a row. He’s had some talent, but that has to be managed on and off the field.”
With the success of the big league club and what’s expected this season, Giansanti thinks it’s trickled down through the entire organization.
“The Cubs have pioneered a new attitude,” Giansanti said. “We take extra bases and play the game hard. We have a saying, ‘Our 25 versus their nine’ and I know for a fact that M.J. is going to impress that upon us. That’s winning baseball and that’s the Cubs’ attitude. It’s going to trickle down to Double-A because this is the future. Guys have to be ready. Anything can happen and guys have to step in when that happens.
“We’re a younger team with a little less hype. There’s a lot of middle of the road guys and prospects. We’ve got young guys and older guys, veterans. This one is a mixture of everything and some special things are going to come out of it.”
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At 27, Giansanti is the elder statesman of this group of Smokies. Johnson expects him to be a leader for this group, more than half making their Double-A debut, considered the biggest jump in professional baseball.
“I love that role,” Giansanti said. “I see myself as a leader. I might not be the most talented player. I pride myself in being a good teammate. I feel like my presence here can help make that transition. It’s a big jump and I want to be able to help.”
Notebook: The Smokies opening night win was impressive across the board. In high winds starting pitcher Rob Zastryzny bounced back from a shaky first inning to take the win on the hill, pitching six innings, giving up four hits, two runs and two walks with five strikeouts. Last season’s Carolina League batting champion Chesny Young picked up right where he left off, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a home run for the Smokies.
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