St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Thomas Saggese is making a strong impression in his first week with the team. With a solid September performance, Saggese, ranked No. 4 in the Cardinals’ organization, could position himself for a coveted spot on the 2025 Opening Day roster.
“Just the way he goes about it, how he communicates what comes out of his mouth all leads to how do we win, not how do I get mine,” said Cardinal’s manager Oliver Marmol to KMOX Radio on Sunday. “It’s good to have that. This is a good, gritty player. He grinds out at-bats.”
Thomas Saggese is Having an Encouraging Start
Saggese has made six starts in seven appearances between shortstop and second base since his debut on Sept. 1oth. In that time, he’s made an impression on the front office.
“The one thing that stood out was just his defense,” said Cardinal’s president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on KMOX Radio. “Obviously to go in and make your debut at the Major League level there’s probably a lot of nerves and some uncertainty and all of that, but the way he played was really impressive.”
In a short stint, Saggese is above league average in outs above average at three. His fielding run value of two is also above league average for qualified defenders.
At the plate, Saggese hasn’t hit for a high average but has tallied four hits with three RBI and a home run. The home run came in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays and tied the game. The Cardinals ended up losing 4-3 in extra innings that game. When reporters asked him about the moment after the game, he was more focused on the final score.
“We lost so I’m kind of more thinking of that,” Saggese said. “But it’s pretty cool to do it in that moment to tie the game right there. To force extras was good. Obviously, you want to win, but pretty cool.”
The focus on team results over personal milestones is one of the things that has impressed team management so far.
“This is a kid that is a winning player,” Marmol said Sunday. “There’s good players and winning players. When this organization has been really good it’s been filled with winning players.”
Strong Season in Triple-A
In his first full season at Triple-A Memphis, Saggese racked up great offensive numbers. He had a slash line of .253/.313/.438 with an OPS of .752 in 2024. Saggese also had 20 home runs and 67 RBI in 125 games.
“This is a guy that is just a good hitter,” Marmol said before Saggese’s first start. “Line drive hitter, gap-to-gap guy, hit some home runs in the minor leagues. Just is a gritty at-bat. We’re looking forward to seeing it at a major league level.”
Saggese can play several infield positions, taking time at third base, second base and shortstop. He told reporters on Saturday he’s focused on doing what he knows and continuing the progress in the minors.
“To be honest, as I’ve been in the Minors, I’ve never really thought about production in the big leagues,” Saggese told reporters after the loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night. “Obviously I’ve dreamed of doing well, producing and winning in the big leagues, but I’ve been more, I don’t know why, but blessed with the attitude of, ‘Let me just do what’s in front of me today.’ And so, it hadn’t really crossed my mind in a while.”
The Cardinals Are Invested in Thomas Saggese
Saggese was part of the trade return for Jordan Montgomery from the Texas Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline. The haul included John King, who was an integral piece of the 2024 bullpen, and the organization’s No. 6 prospect Tekoah Roby. Saggese may be the prospect the organization is most excited about.
“When you think about last Summer when we did make some of those trades to offload some talent, but hopefully get some talent for the future he certainly was one of the guys that we were very excited to get in that deal,” Mozeliak told KMOX Radio.
The Cardinals could have an opportunity for the 22-year-old Thomas Saggese as soon as next year if he performs well in spring training. Former first-round pick second baseman Nolan Gorman has fallen out of favor with the organization. Gorman has been inconsistent in three MLB seasons. He was sent down to Triple-A last month.
Saggese potentially offers much more defensive upside at second base. If he can demonstrate more consistency at the plate than Gorman, he could be the everyday second baseman.
Regardless if it’s to open the season next year or later on down the road, Saggese figures to see a run as a regular starter in the infield at some point in the coming years. He could be a long-term complement to Masyn Winn as the Cardinal’s middle infield for several years to come.
Main Photo: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
