Thomas Saggese

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #5 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Rangers selected Saggese with their final pick in the five-round 2020 draft. He signed for an above-slot $800,000 and debuted the following spring. Over his first two pro seasons Saggese hit .291/.365/.490 across 176 games. He took another step forward in 2023, hitting .313/.379/.512 in 93 games with Double-A Frisco. He was traded alongside Tekoah Roby to the Cardinals for Jordan Montgomery at the 2023 trade deadline. Saggese was voted Texas League MVP after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Saggese is a bat-first middle infielder with above-average bat-to-ball skills and an aggressive approach at the plate. He looks to do damage early in counts, and 23 of his 26 home runs came on the first three pitches of the at-bat. This aggressive approach has its drawbacks. Saggese struggles to control the at-bat when behind in the count. He has just fringe-average raw power but gets the most out of his game power due to his innate feel for the barrel. Saggese shows a knack for making his best contact at optimal launch angles with consistency, allowing him to over-perform many of his underlying metrics. How his aggressive approach will translate against major league pitchers is a lingering question. Saggese is a fringe-average runner with solid baserunning instincts. He spent time at second base, third base and shortstop over the last few seasons but profiles best as a second baseman. His actions and arm are fringy, but he makes a majority of the plays.
  
  The Future: Saggese has a bat-driven profile and shows an ability to get the most out of his contact and an aggressive approach that can often get him into trouble. He profiles as an average everyday second baseman capable of above-average hitting seasons at peak.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #23 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Rangers went high school-heavy in the shortened 2020 draft, popping four prep players after taking Justin Foscue out of Mississippi State in the first round. The last player in their class was Saggese, who looks like he could be another pleasant surprise along with second-rounder Evan Carter. His average (.308), slugging percentage (.487) and OPS (.846) each placed among the top 10 in the South Atlantic League, where he was the circuit's third-youngest player on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: Saggese is a very aggressive hitter who swung 56% of the time but made loud impact on contact. Internal evaluators said he did a good job being more patient as the year wore on but still could stand to improve even further. He chased far too often. He doesn't have the cleanest actions in the field but is nimble enough to make plays on the run thanks to average arm strength despite a throwing stroke with a bit of a hitch that could lead to inconsistency. He's a fringe-average runner who can turn in times closer to average when he gets clean breaks out of the box. The Rangers also love Saggese's baseball rat tendencies and note his intense level of focus during games.
  
  The Future: Saggese finished 2022 at Double-A Frisco for the last part of the regular season and then the team's run to the Texas League title. He'll return to the level in 2023, when a refined approach married with the league's hitter-friendly atmosphere could lead to a big season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #279 prospect in 2020 draft
  Saggese hit .422 with 10 home runs as a junior to win MVP of San Diego’s Avocado West League, one of the top high school leagues in the country. He carried on this spring with a .440 batting average, three triples and three home runs in seven games before the season shut down. Saggese is an athletic shortstop with a history of performing against good competition. He has a loose, wristy swing that makes lots of contact and drives the ball hard to all fields. He already shows double-digit home run potential and should grow into more power as he matures. Saggese doesn’t wear batting gloves and is often described as a “gritty” or “throwback” player. He plays an average shortstop and has a chance to stick at the position, although his arm strength will need to improve for him to avoid a move to second base. He makes the all the routine plays and has good instincts for the game. Saggesse is committed to Pepperdine but has attracted draft interest as an athletic shortstop who has a chance to grow into power.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Rangers went high school-heavy in the shortened 2020 draft, popping four prep players after taking Justin Foscue out of Mississippi State in the first round. The last player in their class was Saggese, who looks like he could be another pleasant surprise along with second-rounder Evan Carter. His average (.308), slugging percentage (.487) and OPS (.846) each placed among the top 10 in the South Atlantic League, where he was the circuit's third-youngest player on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: Saggese is a very aggressive hitter who swung 56% of the time but made loud impact on contact. Internal evaluators said he did a good job being more patient as the year wore on but still could stand to improve even further. He chased far too often. He doesn't have the cleanest actions in the field but is nimble enough to make plays on the run thanks to average arm strength despite a throwing stroke with a bit of a hitch that could lead to inconsistency. He's a fringe-average runner who can turn in times closer to average when he gets clean breaks out of the box. The Rangers also love Saggese's baseball rat tendencies and note his intense level of focus during games.
  
  The Future: Saggese finished 2022 at Double-A Frisco for the last part of the regular season and then the team's run to the Texas League title. He'll return to the level in 2023, when a refined approach married with the league's hitter-friendly atmosphere could lead to a big season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Rangers went high school-heavy in the shortened 2020 draft, popping four prep players after taking Justin Foscue out of Mississippi State in the first round. The last player in their class was Saggese, who looks like he could be another pleasant surprise along with second-rounder Evan Carter. His average (.308), slugging percentage (.487) and OPS (.846) each placed among the top 10 in the South Atlantic League, where he was the circuit's third-youngest player on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: Saggese is a very aggressive hitter who swung 56% of the time but made loud impact on contact. Internal evaluators said he did a good job being more patient as the year wore on but still could stand to improve even further. He chased far too often. He doesn't have the cleanest actions in the field but is nimble enough to make plays on the run thanks to average arm strength despite a throwing stroke with a bit of a hitch that could lead to inconsistency. He's a fringe-average runner who can turn in times closer to average when he gets clean breaks out of the box. The Rangers also love Saggese's baseball rat tendencies and note his intense level of focus during games.
  
  The Future: Saggese finished 2022 at Double-A Frisco for the last part of the regular season and then the team's run to the Texas League title. He'll return to the level in 2023, when a refined approach married with the league's hitter-friendly atmosphere could lead to a big season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.