Demoted just 3 months ago, Saggese has turned around his season

In a season that has brought forth many surprises and feel-good stories, Thomas Saggese may be toward the top of the list for the Cardinals.

Just a few months ago, Saggese had been demoted to Triple-A. And as time went by, it became harder to see how he’d fit in with the Major League club again. But now, as the 2026 season is coming to a close, Saggese’s strong finish with the Cardinals is vaulting him back into conversations about a potential future role.

Acquired at the 2023 Trade Deadline in a trade that sent Jordan Montgomery to the Rangers, Saggese’s start with the Cardinals’ organization couldn’t have gone better. He continued his strong start to his Double-A campaign that year with the Cardinals, resulting in Saggese being crowned the 2023 Texas League Most Valuable Player. At the time, he was viewed by various prospect outlets as a top-100 prospect in the sport.

But that success he found in Double-A never really seemed to find its way to the Major League level. During Saggese’s first two seasons of big league action in 2024 and 2025, he slashed .250/.292/.336 with three home runs and 29 RBIs in 100 games. Still, he was presented with an opportunity to earn consistent playing time in 2026 after the Cardinals moved on from key veterans.

Saggese showed up to camp ready to do whatever it took to make the Opening Day roster, which included packing an outfielder's glove for the first time in his career. Saggese showed the ability to play all three outfield positions, and that versatility helped him make the roster and battle with José Fermín and Nathan Church for playing time in left field.

What seemed to put Saggese at a disadvantage early on was the lack of at-bats he got that spring. Saggese represented Italy at the World Baseball Classic, but got just 11 at-bats in its surprise run during the tournament. When Saggese returned to Cardinals camp, he couldn’t find his rhythm at the plate. After posting a .520 OPS going into early June, the Cardinals sent Saggese to Memphis, hoping that a reset and consistent playing time could get him back on track.

That demotion lasted almost three full months, and it wasn’t until a slew of injuries to the Cardinals’ infield that Saggese was once again put in a position to play for the big league club. This time, he was ready to take advantage of every opportunity in front of him.

Since being recalled on Aug. 28, Saggese is slashing .383/.426/.638 with three home runs and eight RBIs. The biggest difference at the plate for Saggese now has been the way he’s barreling up the baseball. This has allowed the contact Saggese does make to do more damage, thus resulting in the high levels of success he’s found recently.

Even beyond the impact he’s made at the plate, Saggese has proven his value on the basepaths and in the field, playing shortstop in Masyn Winn’s absence to start and now filling in for the injured JJ Wetherholt at second base. That creates an interesting conversation regarding his future playing time.

He’s not going to supplant Winn or Wetherholt in the middle infield, but third base is a role that remains very much up for grabs in 2027 and beyond. Saggese’s positional versatility also gives him a major leg up in terms of how he can fit into a roster, and Saggese could very well be playing himself into a significant utility role moving forward.

Saggese, meanwhile, is focused on the present, enjoying the success he’s had on the field so far and looking to build upon it each day with the same process that got him back to The Show.

“It’s amazing,” Saggese told reporters in Los Angeles after a two-homer game. “It’s obviously such a huge blessing, and cool to see. I’ve put in a lot of work, and to enjoy some of the fruits of the labor, I’m really grateful.”

Saggese joins fellow teammates Jordan Walker, Andre Pallante and Gordon Graceffo as young players who have rebounded from struggles over the last year or longer. The others’ turnarounds have been highlighted frequently, but Saggese’s has been just as fun to watch.