The St. Louis Cardinals will be well represented in the Arizona Fall League this fall, sending eight players to the Peoria Javelinas when the circuit opens Oct. 3 and runs through Nov. 14.
The group blends high-upside pitching recovering from injury with position players who took meaningful steps in 2026. Cardinals affiliates this year are grouped with the Mariners, Orioles, Padres and Reds in Peoria. The AFL remains one of baseball’s best finishing schools: extra at-bats and innings against other organizations’ better young talent, plus a Fall Stars Game and championship window in mid-November.
Here is the contingent and how each arrived at this assignment.
OF Tai Peete
Peete, the organization’s No. 17 prospect and a 2023 first-round compensatory pick originally drafted by Seattle, was acquired in a midseason trade and immediately produced. Across three levels he hit .302 with a .930 OPS, 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 64 games. After time at High-A Peoria he finished the year at Double-A Springfield, where the 21-year-old showed improved contact late while keeping plus speed and above-average raw power. The Fall League is a chance to see whether the aggressive approach tightens further against better pitching.
LHP Brandon Clarke
Clarke, St. Louis’ No. 9 prospect, came over from Boston in the Sonny Gray trade and spent the first half of 2026 recovering from offseason shoulder surgery to address a blood-flow issue. He returned in July, touched 103 mph, and posted a 3.34 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings across Complex, Low-A, High-A and a brief Double-A look. The left-hander’s slider remains a wipeout pitch. Extra innings in Arizona should help him build a starter’s workload heading into 2027.
RHP Tekoah Roby
Roby did not pitch in a regular-season game in 2026 after Tommy John surgery in July 2025. The No. 14 prospect had been one of the system’s most polished arms before the procedure, featuring a plus curveball, an above-average slider and solid command. Cardinals officials indicated in August he was close to facing hitters. The AFL gives him a controlled environment to test the stuff post-surgery and recoup innings.
INF Cade McGee
A ninth-round pick out of Texas Tech in 2024, McGee spent most of 2026 at High-A Peoria before a September promotion to Springfield. He finished with a .220 average, .369 on-base percentage, .791 OPS, 14 home runs and 44 RBIs in 296 at-bats. The right-handed hitter has shown more power and plate discipline this year while seeing time at third base and catcher. Extra reps against advanced pitching should help refine the strike-zone approach.
C Sammy Hernandez
Hernandez put together his best professional season at High-A Peoria. The 22-year-old catcher/first baseman hit in the .280–.300 range with double-digit homers, a high on-base percentage and surprising stolen-base totals (near 20). Originally a 14th-round Blue Jays pick, he has added strength and improved his receiving. The AFL offers a look at whether the offensive jump holds against better competition.
RHP Nate Dohm
Dohm moved between Peoria and Springfield late in the year and will use the Fall League to continue building innings. The right-hander is part of the depth group St. Louis typically sends to Arizona for extra development rather than as a headline prospect.
LHP Michael Watson
Watson, another left-handed depth piece, appeared in spring and minor-league action in 2026. The AFL assignment gives him additional looks in a higher-visibility setting as the organization evaluates its left-handed pitching pipeline.
RHP Frank Elissalt
Elissalt rounds out the pitching contingent. Like Dohm and Watson, he is expected to work in a mix of starting and relief roles as Peoria’s staff rotates through the six-week schedule.
The Javelinas open Oct. 3. Games stream on MLB.com, with the Home Run Derby and Fall Stars Game scheduled for Nov. 7–8 at Salt River Fields and the championship Nov. 14 at Peoria Sports Complex. For Cardinals fans, the next six weeks offer an extended look at Peete’s tools, Clarke’s velocity, Roby’s health and whether McGee and Hernandez can keep producing against the best young talent in the game.
