Aaron Sabato

Sabato has some of the biggest raw power in the entire 2020 draft class, rivaling even Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound first baseman, Sabato has a strong, bulky frame with massive forearms that allow him to consistently drive the ball hard to all fields. After going undrafted out of high school in 2018, Sabato loudly announced his presence in Chapel Hill in 2019, hitting .343/.453/.696 with a UNC freshman record 18 home runs. He led a team that included first-round pick Michael Busch in each triple-slash category and home runs and was positioned to further elevate his stock with another loud draft-eligible sophomore campaign. Sabato played in 19 games before the season was cut short, and in that time he hit seven home runs and six doubles with a .292/.478/.708 slash line. While Sabato has a patient eye at the plate and isn’t afraid to take his walks, teams are concerned with the number of strikeouts he’s racked up in his time with the Tar Heels. With almost all of his value tied to his powerful bat, teams will want to be convinced he is able to regularly tap into that power, but scouts typically put an average or solid-average hit tool on Sabato. Defensively, he’s limited to first base, where he’s a below-average defender and a well below-average runner. Considering his sophomore-eligible status, teams likely would have wanted a longer resume to feel confident in the bat but he did as well statistically as teams could ask for in the time allotted, though playing in the summer might have helped. Sabato and his 70-grade power should go off the board at the end of the first or early in the second round if he is inclined to sign.