The St. Louis Cardinals are extending the development season for a large group of young players, with their prospects headed to the Arizona Fall League for another opportunity to compete, gain valuable repetitions and potentially change the direction of their careers. The AFL begins Oct. 3 and runs through mid-November, giving several Cardinals prospects additional games after the conclusion of the regular minor league season.
The Cardinals’ group will compete for the Peoria team alongside prospects from the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. While the Arizona Fall League was once widely viewed as a final proving ground for the best prospects on the verge of reaching the major leagues, its role has changed in recent years. Organizations now use the league for several different purposes, including rebuilding workloads for players who missed time with injuries, evaluating players approaching important roster decisions and giving intriguing prospects additional opportunities against stronger competition.
That makes the Cardinals’ assignments particularly interesting. A player’s presence in the AFL does not automatically mean the organization views him as a future major leaguer, nor does it necessarily signal a promotion is imminent. Instead, the assignments can reveal what the organization wants to learn about a player before the offseason begins. For some, the goal is simply to get more innings or plate appearances. For others, the AFL can serve as an important evaluation period before decisions involving the 40-man roster, Rule 5 eligibility or a player’s 2027 level are made.
One of the more intriguing names in the group is Tai Peete, the 21-year-old center fielder acquired from Seattle in the offseason trade involving Brendan Donovan. Peete remains one of the more difficult prospects to project within the Cardinals’ system because evaluators have differing opinions about his ultimate ceiling. Baseball America gives him a 60 future-value grade while also attaching significant risk to his profile, and his ranking varies considerably among prospect publications.
Peete is still adjusting to his move from the infield to center field, but the early indications are encouraging. His athleticism gives him a chance to become an above-average defender at the position, while his offensive development remains an important part of his future. He played only about half a season in 2026 because of injury, splitting time between High-A and Double-A. Despite the limited playing time, he posted a 116 wRC+, showing above-average offensive production. The AFL should give Peete an opportunity to make up some of the lost playing time and continue adjusting to center field while facing more advanced competition.
Sammy Hernandez, a 22-year-old catcher, enters the AFL with perhaps one of the more interesting roster situations. St. Louis acquired Hernandez from Toronto during the 2023 season in the trade involving Genesis Cabrera, and he has spent considerable time developing within the Cardinals’ system. After moving between Low-A and High-A over several seasons, he finally showed more significant offensive progress in 2026.
Hernandez posted a 140 wRC+ while also showing improved plate discipline. His 17% walk rate represented a notable development, while an 18% strikeout rate suggested better swing decisions than he had demonstrated earlier in his career. His offensive profile could make him particularly intriguing behind the plate, especially because the Cardinals have continued to invest heavily in their catching depth. Hernandez’s AFL assignment also comes at an important time because he is eligible for Rule 5 consideration, meaning the organization has another reason to evaluate his future carefully before the offseason.
Another player receiving an important developmental opportunity is Cade McGee, a 23-year-old utility player who spent time at virtually every infield position in 2026. McGee appeared at catcher, second base, third base, first base and designated hitter, giving the organization considerable positional flexibility. However, that versatility also meant he did not receive an extended stretch at one position.
McGee played fewer than 100 games during the regular season, making the AFL an opportunity to add more repetitions before the offseason. His offensive production was encouraging, with a 115 wRC+ across two levels. After reaching Springfield, he primarily played second and third base, suggesting the organization may be beginning to narrow his defensive focus. His late-season promotion to Double-A, followed by the AFL assignment, indicates that St. Louis wants to challenge him and gather additional information before determining his next step.
On the pitching side, Brandon Clarke was originally expected to be one of the more intriguing arms in the group. Clarke arrived in the Cardinals organization as part of the Sonny Gray trade and entered the season recovering from offseason surgery related to circulation issues in his arm. He did not begin pitching until June, making the AFL a logical destination for him as he attempts to rebuild his workload.
Clarke has received strong scouting grades on his individual pitches. His fastball has been graded around 60, while his slider has received even higher marks from some evaluators. The primary concerns surrounding him have been injuries and command. He began the year in High-A before reaching Double-A, and his assignment to the Development List near the end of the regular season appeared to prepare him for additional work in Arizona. However, an update following the original announcement indicated that Clarke would undergo minor surgery and would not participate in AFL games. His absence removes one of the more intriguing pitching storylines from the Cardinals’ group.
Tekoah Roby is another pitcher using the AFL primarily as part of a recovery process. St. Louis acquired Roby from Texas in the multi-player trade that sent players including Chris Stratton and Jordan Montgomery to the Rangers. Roby arrived with significant prospect interest but has seen his development disrupted by injuries.
After reaching Triple-A in 2025, Roby suffered an injury and spent a considerable amount of time recovering and rehabbing. His AFL assignment gives him an opportunity to return to competitive game action and rebuild his workload against hitters before entering the offseason. The Cardinals will be closely watching his health, command and ability to regain the form that made him an interesting prospect before the injuries.
The AFL could be particularly useful for Roby because he needs live-game repetitions rather than simply throwing bullpen sessions or facing hitters in controlled environments. His pitch mix has previously received solid scouting grades, including a 55 fastball, 60 curveball, 55 slider, 55 changeup and 55 control grade from Baseball America. If he can stay healthy and regain his command, he could position himself for a return to Triple-A in 2027.
Nate Dohm, acquired from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley trade, is another pitcher looking to build on a season that included an unusually late move to Double-A. Most of his 2026 campaign was spent at High-A Peoria before he received a late promotion. He finished with 61 innings across 25 appearances, including 13 starts and 12 relief outings.
The Cardinals appear interested in increasing his workload while continuing to develop his overall pitching profile. Dohm possesses a fastball that has received a strong scouting grade, but his secondary pitches and command remain areas for development. The AFL should give him another opportunity to experiment with his repertoire while gaining additional innings. Since he is not facing immediate Rule 5 pressure, his assignment appears to be more about development and workload than roster protection.
Left-handed reliever Michael Watson is another player who enters the AFL with something to prove. Watson joined the Cardinals organization in 2024 as an independent-league free agent and repeated Double-A in 2026 after experiencing some success between High-A and Double-A the previous year.
Watson’s sidearm delivery and ability to miss bats make him an interesting bullpen option, but command remains a major part of his evaluation. His strikeout-to-walk profile has not yet reached the level necessary to make him an obvious Triple-A candidate. The AFL gives him another chance to demonstrate that he can limit free passes while maintaining the swing-and-miss ability that has kept him in the organization’s plans.
Frank Ellisalt, who also arrived in the Helsley trade, enters the AFL following an injury-shortened 2026 season. The 24-year-old right-hander has intriguing raw stuff, with both his fastball and slider receiving 60-grade evaluations from Baseball America. His primary obstacle has been command, and injuries have limited his opportunities to turn those tools into consistent results.
For Ellisalt, the AFL is primarily about getting healthy pitchers back into competitive action. Rather than allowing him to enter the offseason after another interrupted season, St. Louis can give him additional innings and evaluate how his stuff plays against better competition. A healthy AFL showing could provide useful momentum heading into spring training.
Joseph King is another pitcher looking to build on a promising statistical development. The ninth-round selection from the 2022 draft has remained on the edges of prospect lists but has not generally received the same attention as some of the organization’s higher-profile arms. His fastball and changeup remain his most notable weapons, while command has historically been an issue.
One encouraging development in 2026 was a drop in his walk rate to 9.6%, allowing his strikeout rate of more than 30% to become more impactful. Injuries have also limited his workload over the past several seasons, so the AFL provides another opportunity to accumulate innings and demonstrate that he can remain healthy while maintaining his improved command.
Nolan Sparks, a 13th-round pick in the 2024 draft, rounds out the pitching group. Sparks does not appear on most major prospect rankings, but his ability to generate strikeouts has made him an interesting developmental arm. He posted a 34% strikeout rate at Double-A, although his tendency to issue walks remains a concern.
Unlike some of the other players in the group, Sparks does not appear to require additional innings because of an interrupted season. Instead, his AFL assignment could give the organization another opportunity to evaluate whether his swing-and-miss ability can translate into more consistent results. His strong role during the Double-A playoffs may also have contributed to the organization’s decision to give him additional exposure.
Overall, the Cardinals’ AFL group represents several different developmental paths. Some players are attempting to recover from injuries, others are approaching important roster decisions, while several are simply looking for more repetitions against advanced competition. The assignments therefore provide a useful snapshot of the organization’s current prospect depth and the decisions it may face during the offseason.
The Cardinals’ presence in the AFL also comes at an important time for the organization’s pitching pipeline. Several young arms remain outside the 40-man roster and will need to continue developing before they become serious major league options. The AFL gives St. Louis additional information that could influence decisions about promotions, roster protection and where individual players should begin the 2027 season.
There is also another interesting development involving Arizona’s organization. The Cardinals will see another former Diamondbacks prospect in the AFL after the two organizations have completed multiple recent transactions involving young players. The group includes pitchers acquired in trades involving Arenado and Lars Nootbaar, adding another layer of intrigue to the Cardinals’ growing collection of young arms.
Ultimately, the Arizona Fall League represents one final opportunity for these Cardinals prospects to make an impression before the offseason begins. The results will not determine every player’s future, but strong performances could influence spring-training assignments, organizational rankings and roster decisions. By late November, the Cardinals should have a clearer idea of which players strengthened their cases and which still have significant development ahead.
One clarification: the source headline says the Cardinals are sending nine players, but the supplied article text actually discusses 10 named players: Peete, Hernandez, McGee, Clarke, Roby, Dohm, Watson, Ellisalt, King and Sparks. Clarke’s subsequent surgery also means he was ultimately unable to participate in AFL games.
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