Thomas

Saggese

The 22-year-old Cardinals’ prospect smacked an RBI double in the third inning that tied the game at 1-1. He then singled in each of his final two at-bats to finish the night with three knocks. Saggese is off to a terrific start in the desert, slashing .431/.554/.647 with a pair of homers, 10 RBI and a 13/12 K/BB ratio through his first 14 ballgames.

Saggese went 4-for-23 with a homer and a 6/0 K/BB while starting each of the previous six games. He’ll probably continue to start most of the time, since the Cardinals have switched to next-year mode.

Saggese turned on a low-and-in curveball from Génesis Cabrera for the first home run of his young career. It wasn’t even a bad pitch, just got a little too much of the plate with two strikes. Saggese also drove in another run in the first inning on a fielder’s choice. He looked comfortable in his at-bats and was aggressive without swinging freely. There are some hitter-ish traits here and Saggese has started four straight games since being called up.

Saggese was 0-for-9 as a major leaguer until his third at-bat today, when he delivered a bloop single in the seventh. Coming up again an inning later, he hit a liner to center that TJ Friedl probably correctly decided against making a diving attempt to catch. That single gave Saggese his first RBI. He’s started all three games since he joined the Cardinals, so it looks like he’ll have some value in deeper leagues.

Since Thomas Saggese was called up earlier this week, he has started every single game with the Cardinals rotating out another player in the lineup each game. One game Masyn Winn sat, the next game Lars Nootbaar sat, and now Brendan Donovan will sit. It’s a bit of a frustrating situation for fantasy managers because you’ll never know who will sit in which game.

Saggese will not only get the call, but he’ll hit seventh and start at shortstop in his MLB debut. The 22-year-old put up mixed numbers while with Memphis, but he’s been excellent with the bat since July, and he offers some power as a middle-infielder with enough speed to steal a bag or 10. He’s worth a speculative add to fantasy rosters this late in the year.

Saggese was acquired from the Rangers in the deal for Jordan Montgomery and is considered one of their better hitting prospects in the system. His .751 OPS isn’t overtly impressive in Triple-A this year, but he’s been much better as of late, and he has shown some pop with 20 homers and 46 extra-base hits. He’s worth a speculative add for those in need of infield help for the final few weeks.

It’s probably easier to drive in six runs off the bench in a spring game than in the regular season, simply because veterans tend to leave early, but it’s still certainly uncommon. Saggese, who homered yesterday, is now 9-for-23 this spring. The Cardinals aren’t going to make room for him now, but he could enter the picture at second base this summer. The 21-year-old, acquired from the Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery trade, hit .306/.374/.530 between Double- and Triple-A last year.

While many are hoping for a bunch of steals from Victor Scott II, it’s quite possible Saggese will make the biggest impact among potential Cardinals callups this year. The former Rangers prospect was terrific last year, hitting .306/.374/.530 between Double- and Triple-A. If he crushes it in Triple-A early this season, he could earn a look at second, with Nolan Gorman spending more time at DH and Brandon Donovan playing left field.

Saggese, who was acquired from the Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery deal, is now just one step away from the majors. The 21-year-old has done nothing but hit since being selected in the fifth round in 2020, but he brought things to a different level during his brief time with the Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate, putting up a monster .331/.403/.662 batting line with 10 homers over just 33 games. He mostly played second base in Double-A, but also boasts experience between shortstop and third base. Wherever the Cardinals decide to put him, he looks like a name to watch in fantasy leagues.