Cardinals Outfield Prospect Stays Aggressive in Arizona Fall Stars Win

St. Louis Cardinals’ outfield prospect Tai Peete showed yet again on Sunday night that no moment is too big for him and he stayed in attack mode while competing in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Peete, one of the breakout stars of the Arizona Fall League over his first 18 games of play, opened the bottom of the first inning of the Fall Stars Game on Sunday night with a walk and a steal of second base. Peete came into the All-Star Game as the AFL’s leader in stolen bases after swiping 20 bags in 24 tries.

Peete, 21, stayed aggressive, but was then thrown out while trying to swipe third base by 19-year-old Tampa Bay Rays catching prospect Nathan Flewelling. Peete, who was hitting in his customary lead-off spot, finished the night 0 for 2 with a walk, a strikeout and a stolen base, but his National League Fall Stars still defeated the American League squad 7-4 by breaking a 3-3 tie with three runs in the eighth inning.

Right-handed starting pitcher Tekoah Roby was the only other Cardinals' prospect chosen for the Fall Stars Game, but he did not pitch on Sunday. Roby, who has successfully worked his way back from Tommy John surgery in July of 2025, has not allowed a run in three starts thus far while also limiting foes to just six hits over 9 2/3 innings pitched. He has struck out 13 and has walked just one batter.   

It was a big weekend for Peete, the speedy center fielder the Cardinals acquired last February from the Mariners in a trade that revolved primarily around All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan heading to Seattle. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Peete crushed 15 home runs in the AFL Home Run Derby on Saturday night to reach the championship round. However, Peete hit just one long ball in the final round and lost to Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/catcher Aaron Parker to finish runner-up.

Peete, who starred at High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield during the regular season, was chosen for the Fall Stars Game because of the many ways he has impacted winning for Peoria (Ariz.) so far in AFL play. Thus far, Peete ranks second in the AFL in slugging (.676), second in OPS (1.114), second in runs scored (23), second in triples (five) and second in hits (26). He leads the AFL in stolen bases (20 in 24 tries), while also ranking fifth in batting average (.351), sixth in RBI (17), ninth in doubles (five) and 16th in on-base percentage (.438). Half of Peete’s 26 hits have gone for extra bases in his 18 games played.