Bret Saberhagen

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 1984
  A meteoric rise? No, it’s been quicker than that. Mainly a shortstop in high school, Saberhagen’s pitching days were limited his senior year because of a tendinitis problem. He did, however, make a few trips to the mound, and the Royals figured he was worthy of a 19th-round selection in the 1982 draft. It took a while to get Saberhagen, who had a full ride to Southern California, to agree to terms, so he didn’t make his pro debut until last summer. It was worth waiting for. Saberhagen’s biggest tool is control. While splitting the season between high Class A Fort Myers of the Florida State League and Double-A Jacksonville of the Southern League (he went a combined 16-7), Saberhagen gave up just 164 hits and 48 walks in 187 innings. And for an encore, he walked just two batters in 47 innings in instructional league. Saberhagen has a slightly better than average fastball, sometimes getting it up to 89 mph, with excellent movement. More than that, he keeps the ball near the knees. He also has an outstanding changeup. He still needs to be more consistent with a breaking pitch—he throws both a slider and a curveball. And Saberhagen also has control of his emotions. “It’s not very often a kid comes along with his kind of maturity,” said one scout. “He not only has the physical ability, but already has emotional maturity.”

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #5 prospect in 1983
  Another prospect who passed through the Florida State League on his way to a higher elevation this season, Saberhagen, a former Los Angeles high school standout at Cleveland High, won 10 of his 16 FSL starts. “He has a fine slider to go along with a very fine sinking fastball,” noted one observer. And like almost everyone of the Royals staff, Saberhagen threw strikes (just 19 walks in 110 innings). His age (19) enhanced Saberhagen’s position as one of the league’s top prospects. He was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville (Southern) after compiling a stingy 2.30 ERA for Fort Myers. On a staff that allowed a little more than 2.5 walks per contest all season long, Saberhagen’s control was perhaps the most impressive. “Especially so,” noted one scout, “when you consider he’s a little more than a year out of high school.”

• December, 1983 Scouting Report
  A meteoric rise? No, it’s been quicker than that. Mainly a shortstop in high school, Saberhagen’s pitching days were limited his senior year because of a tendinitis problem. He did, however, make a few trips to the mound, and the Royals figured he was worthy of a 19th-round selection in the 1982 draft. It took a while to get Saberhagen, who had a full ride to Southern California, to agree to terms, so he didn’t make his pro debut until last summer. It was worth waiting for. Saberhagen’s biggest tool is control. While splitting the season between high Class A Fort Myers of the Florida State League and Double-A Jacksonville of the Southern League (he went a combined 16-7), Saberhagen gave up just 164 hits and 48 walks in 187 innings. And for an encore, he walked just two batters in 47 innings in instructional league. Saberhagen has a slightly better than average fastball, sometimes getting it up to 89 mph, with excellent movement. More than that, he keeps the ball near the knees. He also has an outstanding changeup. He still needs to be more consistent with a breaking pitch—he throws both a slider and a curveball. And Saberhagen also has control of his emotions. “It’s not very often a kid comes along with his kind of maturity,” said one scout. “He not only has the physical ability, but already has emotional maturity.”
• December, 1982 Scouting Report
  Another prospect who passed through the Florida State League on his way to a higher elevation this season, Saberhagen, a former Los Angeles high school standout at Cleveland High, won 10 of his 16 FSL starts. “He has a fine slider to go along with a very fine sinking fastball,” noted one observer. And like almost everyone of the Royals staff, Saberhagen threw strikes (just 19 walks in 110 innings). His age (19) enhanced Saberhagen’s position as one of the league’s top prospects. He was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville (Southern) after compiling a stingy 2.30 ERA for Fort Myers. On a staff that allowed a little more than 2.5 walks per contest all season long, Saberhagen’s control was perhaps the most impressive. “Especially so,” noted one scout, “when you consider he’s a little more than a year out of high school.”