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Cardinals: Checking in on Thomas Saggese after an impressive start

Saggese, acquired by the Cardinals at the 2023 trade deadline, is off to an incredible start with their AA affiliate in Springfield. What does this mean for him, his value. and his future?

By Sandy McMillan |
Thomas Saggese throws out a runner at first
Thomas Saggese throws out a runner at first / John E. Moore III/GettyImages
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On July 30, the last-place Cardinals shipped Jordan Montgomery and Christ Stratton to the Texas Rangers. In exchange, they received Tekoah Roby, John King, and Thomas Saggese. Roby, the most highly touted of the trio, opened his time in St. Louis on the shelf with an arm injury. In his debut on August 26, he struck out six in just three innings of work. Roby looked like a bona fide blue-chip starter. King has quietly been one of St. Louis' best relievers since joining the team. But it's Saggese who has been the most impressive since coming over.

Saggese is a middle infielder who projects as a strong defender at second. Saggese has the versatility to play any infield position. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills and emerging power, which could turn him into a truly elite prospect. For a more robust profile, visit this link.

Saggese was great with Texas before the trade. In 93 games, he'd already smacked 15 homers, tying his career high. Additionally, Saggese was sporting a .313 average, a .379 on-base percentage, and a .512 slugging percentage. Each of these marks represented a career high! So what happened when he was traded to St. Louis and assigned to Springfield?

Saggese improved... significantly! This run of success is truly incredible. In 24 games, he's hitting .363 with a .444 on-base percentage and a ..736 slugging percentage. Put simply, Saggese is getting on base nearly half of the time, and when he makes contact he's crushing the ball. His 14 extra-base hits lead the squad since his arrival. On the season, Saggese has now slugged 24 home runs, giving him a legitimate chance at 30. Oh, and he also hit for the cycle!

Since that tweet, Saggese has actually raised his numbers further. Honestly, the biggest mystery surrounding him is how long he'll remain in AA. To most, it's clear that Saggese has nothing left to prove at this stop in his minor-league journey.

What is Saggese's future with the Cardinals?

What does this incredible success mean for Saggese's future? Hopefully, he'll have the opportunity to debut at AAA before the 2023 season comes to a close. That would position him well for a 2024 call-up, and it would perhaps give him the opportunity to jump other players ahead of him on the depth chart, including Cesar Prieto and Nick Dunn.

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It must be noted, however, that both of those players are having nice runs of their own. Either of them could potentially see time in St. Louis this season, though the Cardinals have shown hesitance to add valuable young players to their 40-man roster in recent weeks. Dunn, considering his age and his .328 batting average, is the likelier of the pair to reach St. Louis, though the Cardinals may still want to protect him through the winter, and the easiest way to do that will be to leave him off the roster. Prieto for his part is hitting .333, though neither he nor Dunn is showing the same power output as Saggese. This gives him the highest ceiling of the three.

When factoring in his age (Saggese is just 21, compared to Dunn, 26, and Prieto, 24) it's clear that Saggese is the player the Cardinals value the most. His sweet swing and slick defense give him the potential to be a lineup fixture down the road. Even if Saggese finishes the season with Springfield, he has been far too impressive to ignore. Perhaps the Cardinals will send him to the Arizona Fall League, which would immediately become must-watch TV for Cardinals fans. At worst, expect to see him in St. Louis by the end of the 2024 season!

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