Aaron Chase Sabato (pronounced sah-BAH-toh)...Twitter: @SabatoAaron...Instagram: @aaron_sabato14...Prefers the nickname "Bato"...Hit .292 (19-for-65) with six doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, 22 walks and a .478 on-base percentage in 19 games as a sophomore for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before the 2020 season was shortened due to COVID-19...In 2019, set a UNC freshman record for home runs in a season with 18 (eighth most in UNC history). Also led the team in batting average (.343), hits (79), doubles (25), RBI (63) and slugging percentage (.696), while posting a 1.149 OPS...Named 2019 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Co-National Freshman of the Year, First Team All-American, Freshman All-American, Baseball America and D1Baseball First Team Freshman All-American, Third Team All-American, NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year, ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-America, Perfect Game First Team Freshman All-American, ACC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-ACC...Sabato was ranked as the 41st-best prospect in the 2020 Draft by MLB.com and 35th by Baseball America...Prior to UNC, attended the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn. was ranked as the fourth-best player in the state and the 35th-best shortstop in the country by Perfect Game...Older brother Teddy also played baseball at UNC while his father Ted played baseball at Mercy College...Favorite movie is The Dark Knight, favorite TV show is The Sopranos and his favorite professional sports team is the Dallas Cowboys.
2023
Was an invite to Twins Spring Training for second time in career...Reassigned to Minor League camp on March 14 and reported to Double-A Wichita where he spent the entire season...Reached safely in season-long 17-straight games from June 2-22, posting a .427 on-base percentage in that span (14 hits, 18 walks)...Placed on seven-day injured list from April 12-May 23 with a right-hand contusion, after being hit on hand with pitch on April 11 vs. Northwest Arkansas...Posted an .876 OPS in 22 June games, recording eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and drew 19 walks in 95 plate appearances for the month...Drove in 14 runs in 21 August games...Played 55 games (all starts) at first base for Wind Surge and 21 games (all starts) at designated hitter...Committed five errors at first base in 432 total chances...Played in 18 games for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .215 (14-for-65) with three doubles, seven home runs, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, nine walks and a .905 OPS...Tied with teammate Kala'i Rosario for AFL lead in home runs.
2022
Was an invite to Twins Spring Training for the first time in career...reassigned to Minor League camp March 26....Recorded season-high five RBI twice on season while playing for High-A Cedar Rapids: April 16 at Quad Cities and July 31 at Wisconsin....Reached safely in season-long 15-straight games for the Kernels, posting a .344 on-base percentage in that span (12 hits and nine walks)....Homered six times in an eight-game span from July 23-31, including three straight from July 23-26, while amassing 16 RBI....Recorded fifth career multi-homer game with Kernels on July 31 at Wisconsin....Hit seven home runs with 18 RBI and a 1.084 OPS in 14 July games with Cedar Rapids....Promoted to Double-A Wichita August 11....Played in 23 games for Wind Surge from Aug. 11-end of season, recording 18 RBI....Combined to hit .215 (80-for-372) with 17 doubles, 22 home runs, 75 RBI and a .774 OPS in 103 games between Wichita and Cedar Rapids... hit .242 (24-for-99) vs. left-handed pitching, compared to .205 (56-for-273) vs. right-handed pitching. ...Combined to play 82 games (all starts) at first base and 21 games (all starts) at designated hitter...made just five errors on season (635 total chances)....Ranked as 27th-best prospect in Twins system by MLB.com after season.
2021
Was a non-roster depth player at major league spring training...appeared in 22 Grapefruit League games, going 2-for-18 with one RBI, two walks and three runs scored...Saw his first professional action with Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, hitting a combined .202 (73-for-361) with 18 doubles, 19 home runs, 57 RBI, 69 runs scored in 107 games...Began the year with Low-A Fort Myers...recorded his first career hit, a single in the top of the ninth, in his second career game on May 5 at Bradenton...Hit his first career home run May 14 vs. Clearwater...recorded his first career multi-homer game on Aug.10 at Bradenton (2 HR)... matched the feat thrice more over the final month of the season with Cedar Rapids: Aug. 29 at Beloit, Sept. 10 at Wisconsin and Sept. 17, at Peoria...Set a single-game career-high with four RBI on June 10, in the Mighty Mussels' 19-3 win at Jupiter...also recorded a career-high three hits in that contest...Hit safely in a career-best six-straight games from Aug. 10-18, batting .280 (7-for-25) with two doubles, four home runs, nine RBI and an .840 slugging percentage in that span...Promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids on Aug. 23 and spent the remainder of the season with the Kernels...Batted .202 (73-for-361) with 18 doubles, 19 home runs, 57 RBI, 69 runs scored, 92 walks and a .783 OPS in 107 combined games between the two levels...his 92 walks were second in the Twins system, while his 19 homers tied for sixth-most among Twins farmhands...Named first baseman on Twins MiLB.com organizational All-Star team...After the conclusion of the season, participated in instructional league in Fort Myers...Ranked 16th-best prospect in Twins system by MLB.com, entering 2022.
2020
Selected by the Twins in the first round (27th overall) of the First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina...did not appear in a professional game as the minor league season was cancelled due to COVID-19...participated in Instructional League in Fort Myers, FL in Oct.... ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Twins organization per MLB.com, and seventh best per Baseball America.
