Aaron Sabato’s Adjustments Have Him Back on the Twins’ Radar

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

Over the last few seasons, Twins prospect Aaron Sabato had become a bit of a forgotten name. A former first-round pick in 2020, his prodigious power always drew attention, but inconsistent contact and swing-and-miss issues slowed his climb up the organizational ladder. Now, in 2025, Sabato’s refined approach and offseason adjustments have him trending in the right direction, and the Twins are taking notice.

After a frustrating 2024 campaign at Double-A Wichita (.653 OPS in 85 games), Sabato entered the offseason with a clear mission: get back to being the hitter the Twins envisioned when they took him 27th overall out of North Carolina. But this time, the change was something different, and it may have saved his professional career. Sabato focused on the less flashy yet highly critical aspects of the craft, including his swing load sequencing, timing, and the mental side of hitting.

“I worked really hard in the offseason on just getting some little load sequencing stuff right,” Sabato told Twins Daily's John Bonnes. “I really took that to heart towards like October through January, and then once I came in the spring, I just wanted better at-bats, just be more competitive in the box.”

“And honestly, that was more of a mindset,” Sabato continued. “The mindset really came from the preparation that I did in the off-season. And this year, I've just played and taken that work every single day … not looking for something else, or searching for anything when one game or one at-bat, or a couple stretches of at bats go awry.”

The results in Fort Myers this spring spoke volumes to the work he had put in over the winter. For Sabato, that early success wasn’t a fluke. It was confirmation.

“I really started to hit the ball [harder] and more consistently,” Sabato shared. “This spring training, I hit like six home runs, which is something that I hadn't done in the past, and especially from an early start. And it was one of those things that I just took that work and to my at-bats, and I did it throughout all of spring, and it kind of clicked. “

“And then it's kind of one of those things that you start seeing some things work out, and you just you believe it before, and then when you start doing it, you just really start believing, and you just never waver. And that's been one thing I'm just trying not to do, is just don't waver from all the work that I put in.”

This commitment to consistency has carried over into his 2025 season, which began at Double-A Wichita before a recent promotion to Triple-A St. Paul. In both stops, Sabato has looked like a different hitter: more competitive in the box, more willing to grind out at-bats, and more dangerous when he gets pitches in his zone. His strikeout rate has dropped noticeably, and his walk rate remains strong, a sign that his pitch selection is improving in tandem with his mechanics. 

In 39 games at Double-A, he slashed .305/.399/.574 (.973) with 11 doubles and nine home runs. Beyond the home run total, it was the quality of his at-bats that impressed Twins coaches. He wasn’t chasing fastballs at the eyes or flailing at breaking balls in the dirt. His strikeout rate has been above 30% for his entire professional career, but he dropped that total to 25.8 K% this season. The swings were disciplined, the takes purposeful, and the confidence unmistakable.

The jump to Triple-A, of course, comes with new challenges. Sabato knows he’ll see arms that fill up the zone more consistently and pitchers who can execute sequences better than the ones he faced at lower levels. But his mindset remains unchanged.

“At the end of the day, it's still baseball,” said Sabato. “I mean, there's just more competitive pitches, I feel like, throughout the at-bats. But ultimately, I mean, it's the same game. The guys are still throwing hard, still throwing great pitches.” 

It’s a subtle but significant shift in how Sabato carries himself. Gone is the player who tried to solve slumps with mechanical overhauls or who wore frustration on his sleeve after tough stretches. In his place is a hitter who’s bought into discipline, daily repetition, and patience with the process.

“Just don't waver, don't tinker, stay with it,” repeated Sabato. “Keep doing what I was doing in Wichita, what I was doing at the start of the spring training, and just keep going.”

For the Twins, this development is an encouraging sign. Sabato’s right-handed power remains a rare commodity in the system. With uncertainty surrounding the team’s future first base depth, the opportunity is there for Sabato to force his way into the picture.

Of course, Sabato knows there’s more work to do. Triple-A pitching is relentless, and the jump to the big leagues is steeper still. But for the first time in a while, it feels like the former first-rounder is on the right path. One built on trust, preparation, and belief in a process that’s finally delivering results.

And if the power stroke he showed early this season shows up under the bright lights in St. Paul this summer, the Twins might have a late-blooming slugger on their hands after all.

What stands out most about Sabato's season so far? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[nclahammer]

Really nice feel good story, good luck to the kid.

[Elvis777]

Saw Sabato play while in Minneapolis, he’s just different.  Felt robbed of home run down line a ball I have not seen hit like that, crushing baseballs.  Seems more athletic and yes disciplined.  He’s had bumpy road of 5 DL , injuries I St Paul noted slowed his development. A healthy Sabato is what 2025 is also presenting.   Also saw he is only minor league player since 3 year data to have back to back games with 3 balls hit over 105 mph.   Koodos to him for persevering through.   At this point Twins need anything.  Chum it up to late bloomer or whatever Sabato looks as a real deal. Good for him.    

[tony&rodney]

Sabato is to be lauded for his persistence and hard work. If he ever gets to wear a Twins uniform he will fit in with all of the other DH's. The work ethic of Sabato can be respected and commended at the same time as one recognizes  that here is another slow-footed, defensively challenged draft choice. Earl Weaver's famous line about waiting for the 3 run home run as his primary strategy was repeated as a point of humor. He knew his team was built on pitching and defense first and the Orioles also used all aspects of small ball when the situation fit. Meanwhile the Twins roster has been built with the sole focus for position players to mash without the talent to complete the task. Hopefully the next front office and management group will be aware of how Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland approach putting together a roster. 

In the meantime I wish Sabato well and hope he reaches his dreams.

[DJL44]

It's great to see that his adjustments have paid off and unlocked the power that was always there.

Can he field his position? It's going to be really hard for him to make the 26-man roster as a pure DH.

[AceWrigley]

35 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

It's great to see that his adjustments have paid off and unlocked the power that was always there.

Can he field his position? It's going to be really hard for him to make the 26-man roster as a pure DH.

Aaron Sabato has played 346 games at 1B and only 7 as a DH. He's not Keith Hernandez with the glove but he's not terrible either. He can play 1B.

[D.C Twins]

The way this season is likely to progress... I suspect he will get a look in September

[Guest]

Well done, thank you.

[Maybebaby]

Bring him and McCusker up.  What have they got to lose.  The Twins average about 4 runs per game but it seems they have one game in which they score 11 then go 5-6 games with 3 or less.  Never know could be the next M&M boys (yeah I'm old) that Mantle and Maris for you younger fans.  PS I'd take McGuire & Canseco too!

[DocBauer]

In modern baseball, teams seldom draft a 1B only player. The primary reason is you'd better be damn sure hes going to be a difference maker with the bat, because other than DH, there's nowhere else to play them.

To my recollection, Hrbek was always a 1B, drafted late, 17th round. I believe Mientkiewicz was either a 3B or OF when drafted, though he did play briefly as a catcher in MILB. Morneau was selected as a catcher. We all know Mauer's journey. Last season's 1B, Santana, was a catcher moved to 3B and then 1B. And that's just a few examples of the Twins history of 1B, not to mention countless others across baseball.

2020 was a bizarre season, year, and draft. And we all know why. But when you pick so late in the draft, you just look for value. Right or wrong, the Twins saw a RH 1B with a good bat, a good eye and OB%, and tremendous power potential. So the Twins took a shot on a 1B only player late in the draft who offered perhaps the best pure hit/power production in the entire draft, coming out after his sophomore season.

We all know the results to this point.

I am absolutely not willing to put a lot of faith in a just turned 26yo FINALLY figuring it out. Still, there are injuries to consider and mental maturity for a ballplayer. And I don't mean that as an insult. I'm saying that as a PLAYER, there may have mental roadblocks or a self imposed stubbornness that told him privately "I can do this" without realizing he couldn't and needed to change his approach. 

But what if a few injuries affected him or caused any self doubt when he struggled? Did he become frustrated? Was he over anxious to just prove himself with power rather a more balanced approach? His comments seem to be a "baseball player" maturity where he began to reflect and realize what he had been doing simply wasn't working.

Again, not a lot of faith in a former 1st round pick at 26yo suddenly growing in to a quality ML player. But the hitter we're seeing this season is SO DIFFERENT than the one we've seen the past 4 years that you have to wonder and hope a little bit don't you?

If he continues to be this NEW hitter in AAA, you'd have to take a look at him come September wouldn't you? 

It's a good story of perseverance and adjustments and not giving up. It would be an even better story if he maintains this new approach and reaches MLB as a late bloomer who just took longer than expected. Think, maybe, Rooker as an example??

Again, not planning on him being a great MLB player, but it sure would be great if he could settle 1B for the next few years as a surprise development story. 

[olerud]

It's a nice story but I don't think he ever makes it.  Sorry

[Trov]

17 hours ago, DocBauer said:

In modern baseball, teams seldom draft a 1B only player. The primary reason is you'd better be damn sure hes going to be a difference maker with the bat, because other than DH, there's nowhere else to play them.

To my recollection, Hrbek was always a 1B, drafted late, 17th round. I believe Mientkiewicz was either a 3B or OF when drafted, though he did play briefly as a catcher in MILB. Morneau was selected as a catcher. We all know Mauer's journey. Last season's 1B, Santana, was a catcher moved to 3B and then 1B. And that's just a few examples of the Twins history of 1B, not to mention countless others across baseball.

2020 was a bizarre season, year, and draft. And we all know why. But when you pick so late in the draft, you just look for value. Right or wrong, the Twins saw a RH 1B with a good bat, a good eye and OB%, and tremendous power potential. So the Twins took a shot on a 1B only player late in the draft who offered perhaps the best pure hit/power production in the entire draft, coming out after his sophomore season.

We all know the results to this point.

I am absolutely not willing to put a lot of faith in a just turned 26yo FINALLY figuring it out. Still, there are injuries to consider and mental maturity for a ballplayer. And I don't mean that as an insult. I'm saying that as a PLAYER, there may have mental roadblocks or a self imposed stubbornness that told him privately "I can do this" without realizing he couldn't and needed to change his approach. 

But what if a few injuries affected him or caused any self doubt when he struggled? Did he become frustrated? Was he over anxious to just prove himself with power rather a more balanced approach? His comments seem to be a "baseball player" maturity where he began to reflect and realize what he had been doing simply wasn't working.

Again, not a lot of faith in a former 1st round pick at 26yo suddenly growing in to a quality ML player. But the hitter we're seeing this season is SO DIFFERENT than the one we've seen the past 4 years that you have to wonder and hope a little bit don't you?

If he continues to be this NEW hitter in AAA, you'd have to take a look at him come September wouldn't you? 

It's a good story of perseverance and adjustments and not giving up. It would be an even better story if he maintains this new approach and reaches MLB as a late bloomer who just took longer than expected. Think, maybe, Rooker as an example??

Again, not planning on him being a great MLB player, but it sure would be great if he could settle 1B for the next few years as a surprise development story. 

First, I was never a fan of the pick either, because as pointed out, hit or you are done as a player.  Unless you are super elite defender at 1st, you will always need to hit to warrant being there, and even super elite you still need some offense.  It is not like SS or catcher were elite defenders can live with not great offense.

That being said, He really could do a Brent Rooker like emergence.  Rooker although made the MLB call at 25 for a cup of coffee but really 26, same age as Sabato, did not do much until age 28 when Oakland was pulling the major league tact of trying to lose so they could skip town.  Then he had a huge year at age 29 last year.  Doing just fine this year too, not as good as last year but still fine.

Point is, he may not be a full bust like we thought and we still have a huge hole at 1st base next year.  If he can fill it for a 3 to 5 years you get kind of a good outcome.  You get a guy that will give you his prime years, and you will never have to worry about losing him in FA after that because he will be over the hill baseball years and not warrant a big payday.  

I do not expect much from him, but he is doing well and should be noticed.  Fans were clamoring for McCusker to make the jump, and now Sabato is giving numbers to warrant it. 

[jmlease1]

Props to Sabato for continuing to grind. He's been labeled a bust for a couple of years now because of his low contact rates, leading to tons of Ks and low batting averages, limiting his ability to let his prodigious power show out and he didn't have the tools to contribute in other ways. But dang if he didn't keep working, and finally cracked AA, and earned a promotion to AAA.

He's done fine since joining Saint Paul too. He's kept the K's reasonable, still drawing walks, and has a couple of dingers to show for it. I wouldn't say he's played his way back into the Twins plans...yet. If he keeps this up, then he might get there, though. He's shown some mental toughness in hanging in there through injuries, through failure, through being labeled a bust...and turned it around for himself. I like that.

[purplesoldier4u]

On 6/22/2025 at 9:14 AM, D.C Twins said:

The way this season is likely to progress... I suspect he will get a look in September

Why not now?

[purplesoldier4u]

19 hours ago, olerud said:

It's a nice story but I don't think he ever makes it.  Sorry

He's got to better than Jonah Bride!

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, purplesoldier4u said:

Why not now?

They need to play Ty France to showcase him for a potential trade.

[twinstalker]

There's nothing to see here.  I'm glad he's had AA success in his fourth go-round.