Cardinals' Prospect Shines with 4 for 4 Night in AFL; Average Up to .361

The mere fact that speedy outfielder Tai Peete put himself in position to potentially hit for the cycle a third time this season on Monday night tells you how well he has salvaged what could have been a disastrous first season in the St. Louis Cardinals’ Minor League system.

Peete, who hit for the cycle twice earlier this season while playing for High-A Peoria and bounced back from an illness that cost him two months of games and 25 pounds in weight, went 4 for 4 with a triple, two doubles, an infield single, a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases in Arizona Fall League play on Monday night for Peoria (Ariz.).

Peete, 21, might have had yet another cycle had he not liner into foul territory while breaking his bat – a plate appearance that resulted in a walk and a stolen base. Still, he smashed balls with exit velocities of 109.4 mph and 112 mph – for his leadoff double and his third-inning triple. In the fifth inning he had another double – this one 98.5 mph off the bat – and he alertly raced to third on a bobble. After using his blinding speed to beat out an infield chopper, Peete became the first player in this season’s Arizona Fall League to register four hits and two stolen bases in the same game. Also, he was the second player with three extra-base hits in the same game.

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For Peete, the intriguing prospect with the rare blend of speed and power who the Cardinals acquired from the Mariners last February, it was the latest stellar performance in the Arizona Fall League. In nine games, he’s slashing .361/.452/.639/1.091 with six extra-base hits and six stolen bases. His 13 hits and 23 total bases are tied for second in the league, while his 10 runs scored – all from the leadoff spot – are the AFL’s second most.

Peete needed just seven innings to record a cycle in a 13-2 win over Cedar Rapids (Twins) in early August. He doubled and scored in the first inning, drove in a run with a third-inning triple, hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and singled off position player Graham Brown in the seventh inning for the cycle. Peete went 4 for 4, with four RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases and 10 total bases.

Peete first hit for the cycle on April 16 in a 24-7 rout of Wisconsin (Brewers). That night, he was 4 of 7 with four RBI, four runs scored, 10 total bases and a strikeout.

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, four RBI and a 421-foot homer that sailed over the wall and the grassy berm before landing in the parking lot.

The strong finish came after Peete missed time because of an illness over the summer that sent him to a Georgia hospital and caused him to lose 25 pounds. He is making up for that absence with some strong play in the Arizona Fall League – a platform that is allowing him to showcase his rare blend of speed and power.