Taken in the fifth round, Saggese was the final pick of the Rangers’ shortened 2020 Draft class, and the Pepperdine commit signed for more than double slot at $800,000. He was a productive hitter through his first three seasons in the Texas system and never more so than in 2023 when he slashed .313/.379/.512 with 15 homers through 93 games with Double-A Frisco. The infielder was traded to the Cardinals that July for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton and nailed down Texas League MVP honors with 10 homers in 33 games for Springfield. After getting a late-season promotion to Memphis, he returned to Triple-A for 2024 but hit just .253/.313/.438 there in 125 games. Saggese joined the Major League club for 18 games in September and then dominated the Arizona Fall League with a .391 average and 1.118 OPS in 18 contests.
The reason for Saggese’s dip was clear. The right-handed slugger had always been an aggressive hitter and ran an overall chase rate of 43 percent at Triple-A, per Synergy Sports. As a self-pronounced “see ball, hit ball” type, he expanded the zone against virtually all kinds of pitches, and Triple-A arms with better command took advantage. He succeeded at improving his approach in the Fall League, but it’s still on Saggese to prove he can be more selective in his age-23 season and beyond. His bat-to-ball skills are solid, and there’s at least average raw power in there too.
Just an average runner right now, the California native won’t steal a ton of bases, and he’s stretched defensively at shortstop, where he played 70 games in Triple-A last year. His arm strength is a better fit for second base anyway, and the Cardinals prioritized him getting looks there in the AFL.
The Rangers have looked savvy in hindsight with its shortened 2020 Draft class, picking up Top 100 prospects Evan Carter (second) and Tekoah Roby (third) and taking Saggese with their final pick in the fifth. Signed away from a Pepperdine commitment with an above-slot $800,000 bonus, Saggese has only hit since and was at his most productive in the Texas system with Double-A Frisco in 2023 before being traded (along with Roby) to the Cardinals. He was even better in Springfield, earned Texas League MVP honors after leading the circuit in average (.318), OPS (.936), wRC+ (142), hits (158), extra-base hits (60) and total bases (274) and was bumped up to Triple-A Memphis in September.
The right-handed slugger tends to jump on pitches he can drive early in the count, and that type of aggression served him well as a 21-year-old at the Minors’ second-highest level. It could catch up to him eventually against more advanced arms with better command, and that keeps his hit tool projection from being a true plus at this stage. He took advantage of some hitter-friendly environs in the Texas League, but he has enough power for 15+ homers per season at the top level.
Saggese won’t wow with speed but picks his stolen-base spots well. Both the Rangers and Cardinals moved him around with time at second base, third and even short, and while he can handle himself on the left side, he profiles best at second, where he exhibits decent footwork around the bag. Even with Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman ahead of him on the 2B depth chart, Saggese hit his way to St. Louis this September.
The Rangers used their last four selections in the shortened five-round 2020 Draft on prepsters whom they rated higher than the industry consensus, and the early returns are good on Evan Carter (second round), Tekoah Roby (third) and Saggese (fifth). They used an over-slot $800,000 bonus to divert Saggese from his Pepperdine commitment because they liked his bat, which has lived up to their expectations. He batted .308 in High-A last season, missing out on the South Atlantic League batting crown title by one hit, then went 13-for-36 (.361) in Double-A to help Frisco win the Texas League championship. Saggess returned to the Texas League with a strong showing before getting moved to St. Louis at the Trade Deadline in a deal for Jordan Montgomery.
A right-handed hitter with a handsy stroke and aggressive approach, Saggese looks to drive the ball in the air to his pull side. He should have 20-homer power once he adds more strength, and he could become a solid hitter if he can develop more discipline. He flashes some aptitude for recognizing pitches and working counts but likes to turn his swing loose.
Saggese saw time at all four infield positions in 2022, getting most of his action at second and third base. As a decent athlete with fringy speed and average arm strength, he's best suited for second, where he's a sure-handed defender. He draws praise for his makeup and won Texas’ True Ranger Award last year for representing its core values on and off the field.
The Rangers spent their last four picks in the five-round 2020 Draft on high school players whom they valued considerably more than the industry consensus. They spent their final choice and an over-slot $800,000 bonus on Saggese, because they believed in his bat. Pushed to Low-A at age 19 for his pro debut last year, he responded by hitting .256/.372/.463 with 10 homers and 11 steals in 73 games and got better as the season progressed.
Saggese has a handsy right-handed swing and an approach geared to hit for power. He focuses on pulling the ball and lifting it in the air, and he could produce 20 or more homers per season as he gets stronger. He works counts and is willing to draw walks, though his aggressive mindset also leads to strikeouts.
Saggese presently has average speed but projects as more of a fringy runner once he matures physically. Texas believes his best position is third base and that he has the work ethic to become a solid defender, though he made eight errors in 24 games at the hot corner and the game seemed to speed up on him there. His average arm may be better suited for second base, and he also saw action at shortstop but lacks the tools to do more than fill in there.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2025
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Player
2
2
2
4
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
