Aaron Sabato

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #19 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Sabato set North Carolina’s freshman home run record (18) in 2019 and showed some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Twins signed him for $2.75 million with the 27th overall pick and watched him look overmatched early and quite good late in his debut pro season this year.
  
  Scouting Report: As a right-right, first base-only defensive profile, almost all Sabato’s value is riding on his bat and massive raw power. Early this season with Low-A Fort Myers, Sabato was extremely passive and looked overmatched by fastballs north of 93 mph. He struggled to get to pitches on the inner half and in general seemed out of sync and off time. He was promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids in late August and the fresh start seemed good for him, as he managed a 1.015 OPS with eight home runs and a heavier pull approach. Sabato has a keen eye at the plate—his 92 walks ranked second in the minors only to org mate Edouard Julien—rarely expands the zone and does plenty of damage on contact, but will need to find a way to lower his 32% strikeout rate. He’s a bottom-of-the-scale runner limited to first base defensively.
  
  The Future: Sabato should get a chance at Double-A in 2022, where he’ll put his power and patient approach to the test against better arms.
  
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #7 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Run: 30. Fielding: 40. Arm: 40.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Sabato went undrafted out of high school but made an immediate impact at North Carolina, smashing a freshman program-record 18 homers in 2019. Sabato had some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, prompting the Twins to take him with the 27th pick.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sabato’s signature trait is his massive power potential. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and can leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole, thanks to his brute natural strength and massive wrists and forearms. Sabato has a compact operation and a clean rotation in his swing. He doesn’t need to cheat to catch up to velocity and isn’t overly susceptible to breaking balls, helping him project as an average hitter. He showed good stike zone-recognition in college and should post high on-base percentages as well. Sabato is strictly limited to first base defensively. He’s a below-average defender with a below-average arm and well below-average speed. He may end up becoming a full-time DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sabato has the most power potential of any player in the Twins’ system. There is a lot of pressure on his bat, but he shows the traits of an impact slugger who can make it work.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #35 prospect in 2020 draft
  Sabato has some of the biggest raw power in the entire 2020 draft class, rivaling even Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound first baseman, Sabato has a strong, bulky frame with massive forearms that allow him to consistently drive the ball hard to all fields. After going undrafted out of high school in 2018, Sabato loudly announced his presence in Chapel Hill in 2019, hitting .343/.453/.696 with a UNC freshman record 18 home runs. He led a team that included first-round pick Michael Busch in each triple-slash category and home runs and was positioned to further elevate his stock with another loud draft-eligible sophomore campaign. Sabato played in 19 games before the season was cut short, and in that time he hit seven home runs and six doubles with a .292/.478/.708 slash line. While Sabato has a patient eye at the plate and isn’t afraid to take his walks, teams are concerned with the number of strikeouts he’s racked up in his time with the Tar Heels. With almost all of his value tied to his powerful bat, teams will want to be convinced he is able to regularly tap into that power, but scouts typically put an average or solid-average hit tool on Sabato. Defensively, he’s limited to first base, where he’s a below-average defender and a well below-average runner. Considering his sophomore-eligible status, teams likely would have wanted a longer resume to feel confident in the bat but he did as well statistically as teams could ask for in the time allotted. Sabato and his 70-grade power should go off the board at the end of the first or early in the second round if he is inclined to sign.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Sabato set North Carolina&#39s freshman home run record (18) in 2019 and showed some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Twins signed him for $2.75 million with the 27th overall pick and watched him look overmatched early and quite good late in his debut pro season this year.
  
  Scouting Report: As a right-right, first base-only defensive profile, almost all Sabato&#39s value is riding on his bat and massive raw power. Early this season with Low-A Fort Myers, Sabato was extremely passive and looked overmatched by fastballs north of 93 mph. He struggled to get to pitches on the inner half and in general seemed out of sync and off time. He was promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids in late August and the fresh start seemed good for him, as he managed a 1.015 OPS with eight home runs and a heavier pull approach. Sabato has a keen eye at the plate—his 92 walks ranked second in the minors only to org mate Edouard Julien—rarely expands the zone and does plenty of damage on contact, but will need to find a way to lower his 32% strikeout rate. He&#39s a bottom-of-the-scale runner limited to first base defensively.
  
  The Future: Sabato should get a chance at Double-A in 2022, where he&#39ll put his power and patient approach to the test against better arms.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Sabato set North Carolina’s freshman home run record (18) in 2019 and showed some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Twins signed him for $2.75 million with the 27th overall pick and watched him look overmatched early and quite good late in his debut pro season this year.
  
  Scouting Report: As a right-right, first base-only defensive profile, almost all Sabato’s value is riding on his bat and massive raw power. Early this season with Low-A Fort Myers, Sabato was extremely passive and looked overmatched by fastballs north of 93 mph. He struggled to get to pitches on the inner half and in general seemed out of sync and off time. He was promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids in late August and the fresh start seemed good for him, as he managed a 1.015 OPS with eight home runs and a heavier pull approach. Sabato has a keen eye at the plate—his 92 walks ranked second in the minors only to org mate Edouard Julien—rarely expands the zone and does plenty of damage on contact, but will need to find a way to lower his 32% strikeout rate. He’s a bottom-of-the-scale runner limited to first base defensively.
  
  The Future: Sabato should get a chance at Double-A in 2022, where he’ll put his power and patient approach to the test against better arms.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Run: 30. Fielding: 40. Arm: 40.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Sabato went undrafted out of high school but made an immediate impact at North Carolina, smashing a freshman program-record 18 homers in 2019. Sabato had some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, prompting the Twins to take him with the 27th pick.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sabato's signature trait is his massive power potential. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and can leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole, thanks to his brute natural strength and massive wrists and forearms. Sabato has a compact operation and a clean rotation in his swing. He doesn't need to cheat to catch up to velocity and isn't overly susceptible to breaking balls, helping him project as an average hitter. He showed good stike zone-recognition in college and should post high on-base percentages as well. Sabato is strictly limited to first base defensively. He's a below-average defender with a below-average arm and well below-average speed. He may end up becoming a full-time DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sabato has the most power potential of any player in the Twins' system. There is a lot of pressure on his bat, but he shows the traits of an impact slugger who can make it work.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Run: 30. Fielding: 40. Arm: 40.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Sabato went undrafted out of high school but made an immediate impact at North Carolina, smashing a freshman program-record 18 homers in 2019. Sabato had some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, prompting the Twins to take him with the 27th pick.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sabato’s signature trait is his massive power potential. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and can leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole, thanks to his brute natural strength and massive wrists and forearms. Sabato has a compact operation and a clean rotation in his swing. He doesn’t need to cheat to catch up to velocity and isn’t overly susceptible to breaking balls, helping him project as an average hitter. He showed good stike zone-recognition in college and should post high on-base percentages as well. Sabato is strictly limited to first base defensively. He’s a below-average defender with a below-average arm and well below-average speed. He may end up becoming a full-time DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sabato has the most power potential of any player in the Twins’ system. There is a lot of pressure on his bat, but he shows the traits of an impact slugger who can make it work.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Run: 30. Fielding: 40. Arm: 40.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Sabato went undrafted out of high school but made an immediate impact at North Carolina, smashing a freshman program-record 18 homers in 2019. Sabato had some of the best raw power in the 2020 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, prompting the Twins to take him with the 27th pick.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sabato’s signature trait is his massive power potential. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and can leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole, thanks to his brute natural strength and massive wrists and forearms. Sabato has a compact operation and a clean rotation in his swing. He doesn’t need to cheat to catch up to velocity and isn’t overly susceptible to breaking balls, helping him project as an average hitter. He showed good stike zone-recognition in college and should post high on-base percentages as well. Sabato is strictly limited to first base defensively. He’s a below-average defender with a below-average arm and well below-average speed. He may end up becoming a full-time DH.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sabato has the most power potential of any player in the Twins’ system. There is a lot of pressure on his bat, but he shows the traits of an impact slugger who can make it work.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  Sabato has some of the biggest raw power in the entire 2020 draft class, rivaling even Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound first baseman, Sabato has a strong, bulky frame with massive forearms that allow him to consistently drive the ball hard to all fields. After going undrafted out of high school in 2018, Sabato loudly announced his presence in Chapel Hill in 2019, hitting .343/.453/.696 with a UNC freshman record 18 home runs. He led a team that included first-round pick Michael Busch in each triple-slash category and home runs and was positioned to further elevate his stock with another loud draft-eligible sophomore campaign. Sabato played in 19 games before the season was cut short, and in that time he hit seven home runs and six doubles with a .292/.478/.708 slash line. While Sabato has a patient eye at the plate and isn’t afraid to take his walks, teams are concerned with the number of strikeouts he’s racked up in his time with the Tar Heels. With almost all of his value tied to his powerful bat, teams will want to be convinced he is able to regularly tap into that power, but scouts typically put an average or solid-average hit tool on Sabato. Defensively, he’s limited to first base, where he’s a below-average defender and a well below-average runner. Considering his sophomore-eligible status, teams likely would have wanted a longer resume to feel confident in the bat but he did as well statistically as teams could ask for in the time allotted. Sabato and his 70-grade power should go off the board at the end of the first or early in the second round if he is inclined to sign.