GLENDALE, AZ – Minnesota Twins power prospects Kala’i Rosario and Aaron Sabato of the Glendale Desert Dogs tied for the home run championship in the 2023 Arizona Fall League.
Rosario earned undisputed claim to the title by winning the AFL Home Run Derby. He clouted 25 homers total, including one projected at 465 feet at Sloan Park in Mesa on Nov. 4. He edged Toronto Blue Jays prospect Damiano Palmegiani in the final round, 6-5.
“I had a blast out there,” Rosario told reporters. “The nerves were going but I went out and had fun and it was a good time.”
MESA, AZ: Kala’i Rosario of the Glendale Desert Dogs poses with the Arizona Fall League Home Run … [+]
Three years younger at age 21, Rosario has emerged as the better prospect even though Sabato was Minnesota’s first-round pick (No. 27 overall) in 2020. Rosario was chosen in the fifth round at No. 158 as a high schooler.
At the time, perfectgame.org reported Rosario’s bat produced a top exit velocity of 105 mph, ranked in the top 99.8% of a draft class that averaged 83 mph.
This fall, that swing launched several impressive opposite-field homers. Rosario totaled seven in 89 at-bats over 25 games. Sabato hit seven in 65 at-bats over 18 games.
There’s Work To Be Done
Both prospects have powerful swings that each must learn to corral. Sabato hit only .215 this fall, one point better than Rosario. Neither appear to be future gold glove men, though Rosario, at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, has more agility and a better arm that could help him develop into an average corner outfielder. Sabato, 6-2, 230 pounds, is limited to first base or designated hitter.
Rosario had a good 2023 season for Cedar Rapids. He was named Class A Midwest League MVP after hitting .252 with 27 doubles, 21 homers, 75 walks and 94 RBI in 118 games to help the Kernels win the championship. He showed significantly more patience at the plate after drawing only 34 walks at Low A Fort Myers in 2022.
In college, Sabato hit .332 with 25 homers in 89 games over two years at North Carolina and was somewhat of a surprise first-round choice. Impatient Twins fans are now lamenting what could have been. The Los Angeles Dodgers took right-hander Bobby Miller’s 100-mph fastball at No. 28 and the Baltimore Orioles chose good-hitting infielder Jordan Westburg at No. 29. Both contributed in the majors this year.
FORT MYERS, FL: Aaron Sabato takes batting practice before a Minnesota Twins spring training game on … [+]
MLB Pipeline rated Sabato in 2021 as the third-best prospect at first base behind Andrew Vaughn of the Chicago White Sox and Triston Casas of the Boston Red Sox. They have advanced to the majors. Sabato has struggled.
Sabato has only a .212 average in 287 games in the minors with 53 homers, 54 doubles and 177 RBI. His 394 strikeouts to 193 walks are not terribly awful – he just doesn’t barrel up balls enough. He likely will be left unprotected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. Perhaps some keen scout saw something in Sabato’s approach when he did launch long balls in the AFL and will recommend his team take a chance on him. If not, the Twins still may unlock the elusive the key to consistency.
Aloha, Agbayani!
Both Rosario and Sabato draw comparisons to former big-league outfielder Benny Agbayani. Either could have a career like the part-time slugger had from 1998 thru 2002 for the New York Mets (35 homers, .282 in 322 games), Colorado Rockies (4 homers, .205, 48 games) and Boston Red Sox (0 homers, .297 in 13 games).
Like Rosario, Agbayani hailed from Hawaii. Like Sabato, he was a broad-chested (6-0, 225-pound) slugger with decent but not eye-popping homer totals in the minors.
NEW YORK: Mets players lift hero of the game Benny Agbayani after his 13th-inning homer gave them a … [+]
Rosario and Sabato had their best success this fall against pitchers lacking power fastballs. Agbayani, one of only 48 native Hawaiians in MLB history, served up some Hawaiian punch at the plate, particularly against soft-tossers, batting .307 with 18 career homers. Against the real hard stuff, he hit only .244 with four homers. He delivered somewhere in between (16 homers, .249) against mid-range hurlers.
A Kepler-Kirilloff Comparison
Minnesota already has two outfielders with widely varying success against power pitchers and finesse types. Both Max Kepler and Alex Kiriloff hit from the left side and it may make sense to eventually mix in either Rosario or Sabato in platoon roles.
MINNEAPOLIS: Max Kepler, right, helps Alex Kirilloff celebrate his first-inning home run for the … [+]
Kepler fares better (.251, 68 homers) against the sneaky stuff as opposed to the fireballers (.234, 40 homers) and even those in between (.220, 44 homers). His power production zooms up against right-handers: 1 homer every 19 at-bats to 1 every 35 times up vs. lefties.
Kirilloff is the same type hitter (.279, 12 homers vs. finesse to .242, 4 homers vs. power). He really struggles against lefties (.207 career to .274 vs. right-handers).
The Twins obviously like these type power hitters. Now, Rosario and Sabato need to show them more likable production. Sabato must be a run producer to advance; Rosario has more time on his side. One or the other may eventually contribute.
