Chicago Cubs: Five realistic MLB draft day targets

Chicago Cubs: Heir to a throne

Outside of the usual suspects exists a power-hitting first baseman from one of the best college baseball programs in the country. I am talking, of course, about Aaron Sabato. Maybe one of the more underrated prospects in the draft, Sabato finished his freshman season before his sophomore season was ended abruptly.

Sabato is a physical specimen. Standing at 6’2″, 230 pounds, the 21-year-old kid from Rye Brook, New York, brings a slew of tools and talents to the table. As a freshman, Sabato slashed .335/.437/.650, 13 home runs, and a .315 ISO. He smacked 22 doubles in 56 games.

Through 19 games this season, Sabato was slashing .292/.478/.708, a .416 ISO, seven home runs, and six doubles. He had also managed to decrease his strikeout rate by about three percent and experienced a significant uptick in walks, walking nearly a quarter of the time through his 65 at-bats.

Regarded as the second-best first baseman in this class (Spencer Torkelson is tough to beat), Sabato checks many of the boxes as a future major leaguer. His power is parallel to none as it is the best raw power in the class, and Sabato brings a patient eye to each at-bat. As a first baseman, his defense still needs refining, and Sabato could benefit from a hair more speed.

There is still much speculation at the nature of Anthony Rizzo’s future with the club. Rizzo is set to become a free agent after the 2022 season, which, if the Cubs choose to go this route with Sabato, could be a smart move for the team’s future.