Aaron Sabato’s path to the majors has taken longer than anyone around the Twins probably imagined back on draft night, but the wait is over. Minnesota is calling up the former first-round pick, giving the 27th overall selection from the 2020 MLB Draft his first shot in the big leagues after six years of grinding through the minors.
Sabato’s story started in one of baseball’s strangest drafts, a five-round event shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Twins used their top pick on a big first baseman from the University of North Carolina, betting on the bat that had made him such an intriguing name in the first place.
That bat was always the attraction. Sabato entered pro ball with loud raw power and a strong offensive résumé, and the numbers at UNC backed it up.
As a freshman, he hit .343/.453/.696 with 18 home runs and 25 doubles in 64 games. Minnesota saw a player whose power could eventually fit in the middle of a lineup.
But the equation was never simple. Sabato was mostly a first baseman, which meant there wasn’t much defensive versatility to help him onto the field. The bat had to do the heavy lifting.
For a long stretch, it didn’t quite get there. Sabato made it to Triple-A, but his climb was slower than most expected from a first-rounder.
The power remained, yet the overall production never fully matched the hype. His prospect stock didn’t just dip - it cratered, until he was off the radar for everyone but the most stubborn Twins believers.
Then 2026 changed the conversation. Sabato put together the best season of his professional career, setting a new St.
Paul Saints Triple-A franchise record with 25 home runs and adding 25 doubles. Earlier this week, the Saints named him their 2026 Most Valuable Player.
He finished at .273/.349/.528 with an .877 OPS and a 121 wRC+ across 113 games, while posting an 8.7% walk rate and a 25.3% strikeout rate.
Those numbers don’t erase the questions that have followed him for years, but they explain why Minnesota kept giving him chances. The power is real, and that’s exactly the kind of trait the Twins have been looking for.
A Right-Handed Power Bat
Right-handed power has been a need for the Twins for a while, which makes Sabato’s promotion worth watching. Minnesota isn’t asking him to become a star or rescue the lineup. The question is narrower than that: can the bat that made him a first-round pick survive against major league pitching?
There’s still swing-and-miss in the profile, and the strikeout rate reflects that. But that was always part of the package for a player whose value starts with damage. The Twins now get to see whether his improved production can travel with him to the next level.
The timing works, too. With this stage of the season offering a chance to take a look at players who could fit into future plans, Sabato is getting his moment.
He’s already spent years in the organization, and there isn’t much more he can prove in Triple-A. Whether he ends up as part of the long-term picture or not, this is both an audition and a payoff.
For a former first-round pick who spent most of his pro career waiting for this exact opportunity, that’s plenty. Sabato is in the majors at last. The long road has finally delivered him here.
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Twins Could Turn To A Former First-Round Pick Few Saw Coming
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General manager Jeremy Zoll has already confirmed the clubs interest, while manager Derek Shelton has said he wants to feature as many former first-round picks as possible on the field. If Cavaco gets the call, his path would be one of the more unusual ones in recent Twins memory, taking him from High-A to independent ball and now to the edge of a major-league bullpen opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Arm Is Putting The Jeff Hoffman Trade Back In Focus
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Kleins next step came quickly, with the Blue Jays recently calling him up for a doubleheader against the Orioles, a reminder that his path is still moving even as his minor league performance has been uneven. Toronto has him ranked as its No. 29 overall prospect, so his progress will keep drawing attention in a trade that Minnesota will be measured against for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Jenkins Is Making The Twins Look Right For Calling Him Up
Walker Jenkins arrived in the majors with the kind of uneven first impression that can come with a late-season call-up, but the Twins have spent the past week seeing more and more of why they brought him up. After opening his MLB career with a low batting average, the young outfielder has started to settle in, going 11-for-25 with three home runs over his last six games and giving Minnesota a much clearer look at the kind of bat he can bring.
Even with the Twins out of playoff contention, Jenkins stretch at the plate has made the promotion look worthwhile in the larger sense. He still has rookie eligibility left for 2027, and his path to this point has already included multiple injuries, which makes every productive game feel a little more meaningful for a team trying to gauge what comes next. What Minnesota is watching now is whether this late-season burst is the start of a longer run toward becoming a regular outfield option. [Read more 🡒]