TD Top Twins Prospect Rankings (Post Draft and Trade Deadline): 25-21

[puckstopper1]

The power this board wields is amazing! 

Sabato gets lowered in the rankings and several lament his selection and his lack of power, and he goes out and hits two home runs! ?

[Trov]

In terms of Sabato, I would like to know more about what is behind the numbers.  Meaning, is he missing strikes, or letting strikes go by that a possible adjustment could change things. I am not expecting much based on his first season, but the league he is in tends to drain power from players.  Is he having warning track power that maybe a small adjustment can turn him around or is he just having weak contact when he is making it?

He better figure it out soon else he will get passed by quickly as his only tool is power is my understanding. 

[HrbieFan]

Was Sabato over drafted last year or was he projected to be a late first? Not sure how a guy can go from terrorizing college pitchers to a whiff machine. FO looks to have whiffed big on 2 #1 picks 

[Dman]

8 hours ago, HrbieFan said:

Was Sabato over drafted last year or was he projected to be a late first? Not sure how a guy can go from terrorizing college pitchers to a whiff machine. FO looks to have whiffed big on 2 #1 picks 

I think he had a second round grade so he was picked ahead of where most analysts had him but those ranking are so subjective they generally mean very little.  Most everyone seemed to agree he would have a MLB ready bat he just got dinged because his bat might be the only value he brings. 

It looks like he will be able to play 1st base but I don't know much about his defense there.  I don't think anyone saw so much swing and miss and I mean miss the ball entirely to his game.  He was supposedly a guy that could barrel the baseball more often than not but in his first season we are seeing the opposite.  Almost like he needs glasses or something.  Guys younger than him are doing better than he is.  Guys picked much later are doing better than he is. 

I don't know if he was just primarily a fastball hitter in college and that is how he got noticed kind of like Rooker or he lost something along the way but contact has not been a strength but literally a weakness for him so far in A ball.  His eye is the only thing that kept him from catastrophic disaster as he has walked at a better than average clip which generally bodes well for a hitter because it usually forces a pitcher to throw better strikes, strikes that are usually easier to barrel up.  So far that hasn't been the case as he seems to be making weak contact or none at all with rare exceptions a HR or extra base hit.

All is not lost as he still has time to find himself but I can't remember a college bat first round pick by the Twins that played more poorly than Sabato has in his first season. With his two HR game he finally cracked the 700 OPS mark which is a low bar for A ball.  Fine for a teenager getting his first cracks in but most guys that hit like are soon gone from the system because odds are they don't have what it takes to be successful at the higher levels.  It is his first year at pro ball hopefully he finishes the season strong and can move to high A to start next year and get better results but he off to a rocky start IMO.