The slump Cardinals infield prospect Thomas Saggese experienced in the batter’s box during the second month of his first full season with Class AAA Memphis was not new to him.
The 22-year-old recalls being in similar spots before. He recalls what happened once he broke out of them.
“In High-A, I remember times where I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t have a chance to get the big leagues,’ and then I finished that season hitting .300,†Saggese told the Post-Dispatch during a recent interview in Memphis, Tennessee. “And last year, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is a tough start to the year and I’m really struggling,’ and then I won the MVP of the League, which is crazy to think about that.â€
A 2020 draft pick of the Texas Rangers and a Cardinals trade deadline acquisition last July, Saggese batted .232 with a .293 on-base percentage through his first 18 games in 2022 before he ended that season with a .306 average in 103 games between High-A and Double-A. The next year, Saggese went from batting .203 in his first 15 games with Double-A Frisco to posting career highs in doubles, homers, and OPS to earn himself Texas League MVP honors after being traded from Texas to ºüÀêÊÓƵ that summer.
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Coming off a 25-game stretch in May that included a .211 average and 24 strikeouts in 95 at-bats, the infield prospect feels his past slumps give him moments to “lean on†as he looks for consistent offensive results.
“I think that’s primarily on me and not really the pitching,†Saggese said. “I think I’m underperforming for sure. … I wouldn’t say I’m getting pitched tough or anything. I think I’m capable of however I’m getting pitched of doing damage. That hasn’t been so much so the case recently.â€
The Cardinals’ top infield prospect entered Friday with a .224 average, seven home runs, and a .685 OPS in 52 games for Triple-A Memphis. He opened the year batting .255 with a 36% hard-hit rate in his first 39 games but has since hit .128 with a 28.2% hard-hit rate in his previous 13 games entering Friday, per Statcast.
“Swing wise, he’s fine,†Memphis hitting coach Howie Clark said recently during an interview in Memphis. “He just gets in trouble when he expands because I think he’s been able to cover quite a bit of the zone and I think some teams have been taking a little advantage of his aggressiveness or over-aggressiveness. When you see him be a little bit more disciplined around the edges and force them to throw strikes, I mean he really hits the ball hard.â€
As a non-roster invitee to Cardinals big league camp this past spring, Saggese displayed the results his approach could yield. Saggese played in 23 Grapefruit League games and hit .300 with a .364 on-base percentage, three doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs. Saggese did not make his first opening day roster in his first chance as a non-roster invitee but remained in big league camp through the Cardinals’ final spring training game.
The 22-year-old described his first full big-league spring as eye-opening as he shared a clubhouse and the field with veteran major leaguers like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt while also getting a feel for where he is on his track to the majors.
“That I’m not that far away,†Saggese said. “I have work to do and there’s things I need to improve on and things I need to get better at and grow in and learn myself. But my work ethic is there. It’s just a matter of time before everything comes together and I get more experience. … I was holding my own in spring training.â€
After splitting most of his time on defense between third base and shortstop during Grapefruit League games, Saggese opened the minor league season as Memphis’s starting shortstop and has started there in 34 of his 52 games. He began Friday with a .955 fielding percentage and seven errors in 293 2/3 innings at that position.
The utility infielder entered his first full season in the Cardinals system having started at shortstop in 37 games across three seasons in pro ball as he stuck mostly to second and third base. His time at shortstop has increased as fellow infield prospect Cesar Prieto remains at third and second base while Jose Fermin has bounced between shortstop and second base and between the majors and minors.
Saggese credited the defensive routine he developed last year as one of the areas that’s been part of his growth. The 22-year-old said part of his infield drills focuses on short hop progressions and are similar to the ones Angels manager Ron Washington popularized during his time as a third base coach with the Braves.
Playing primarily one spot on the infield is a process Saggese said he’s enjoyed, and one that has brought some consistency on defense as he looks for consistent results in the batter’s box.
“Some days it’s nice to mix it up, but it’s nice to be consistent at one spot and just get all your work done there,†he said. “I think it’s harder to go from spot to spot, which is an advantage for me, maybe if I’m able to do that well to go from spot to spot just because that’s a hard thing and I think a valuable thing. It’s give and take. It’s a good thing for me for value and as a player. But if it’s possible to stay in one spot, that’s, that’s ideally what you want.â€