Tai Peete, a rapidly rising prospect in the Cardinals Minor League system, blasted a 425-foot homer in Day 1 action of the Arizona Fall League. Also, Cardinals left-handed relief prospect Michael Watson pitched a scoreless inning and struck out two in AFL action.
Tai Peete started the Arizona Fall League with a bang on Saturday and continued to show why he is one of the most intriguing prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League system.
Peete, a 21-year-old outfielder from Georgia who has the rare combination of speed and power, was one of five prospects to homer in first-day play of the Arizona Fall League on Saturday. Peete showed off the enormous pop in his bat by smoking a 425-foot homer that easily cleared the center field wall, and it also hit off the batter’s eye. Peete first homer of the Fall League left the bat at a scorching 108.2 mph.
Peete is one of nine Cardinals prospects competing in the Arizona Fall League, an offseason platform that the Cards have used as a finishing school, of sorts, for prospects needing extra reps or ones close to making the leap to the big leagues. In past years, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, Michael McGreevy and Leo Bernal have played in the AFL before making the jump to the big leagues.
Cardinals’ prospects are playing alongside those from the Mariners, Orioles, Padres and Reds to make up the Peoria (Ariz.) Javelinas. Peoria rallied for a 7-6 win over the Mesa Solar Sox (Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Cubs and Red Sox). Peoria won despite falling behind 6-0, with their comeback beginning with Peete’s fourth-inning solo shot.
Cardinals’ relief prospect Michael Watson struck out two in one inning of work while featuring a big, breaking slider. Watson, 24, signed with the Cardinals in 2024 after a college career at tiny Nelson (Texas) University and Sam Houston State and playing a season of Independent League baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs.
The native of Fort Worth, Texas, went 4-4 with a 4.96 in 46 relief outings with Double-A Springfield in 2026. He struck out 72 in 52 2/3 innings of work, equating to a 12.3 K/9 rate.
Peete, the No. 17-ranked prospect in the Cardinals system and a player who will almost assuredly crack the club’s Top 10 list in 2027, also had a double in the sixth inning. He finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored, an RBI and two strikeouts.
Peete was one of the players the Cardinals acquired in the three-teams trade involving the Mariners and Rays. Peete’s season was interrupted by a concussion and the lingering effects, but he showed off his rare combination of speed and power by twice hitting for the cycle at High-A Peoria. Then, after earning a promotion to Double-A Springfield, he slashed .319/.360/.489/.849 with five doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI and four stolen bases in 21 games. In the Texas League championship series, Peete helped the Cardinals jump to a 1-0 lead over Amarillo with a 5-for-5 game with a double, a 421-foot homer and four RBI.
