Left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke, rehabilitating right-hander Tekoah Roby and outfielder Tai Peete are a part of the contingent of top prospects the Cardinals are sending to the Arizona Fall League, a finishing school of sorts in recent years for the big-league club.
A St. Louis Cardinals franchise that has used the Arizona Fall League as a springboard for Minor League players to jump to the big leagues for years announced that two of their top pitching prospects will compete in the circuit in October and November.
Hard-throwing left-hander Brandon Clarke, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the Cardinals Minor League system, will be joined by rehabilitating right-hander Tekoah Roby in MLB’s Arizona Fall League, which will be held Oct. 3-Nov. 14.
Outfielder Tai Peete, the No. 17-ranked prospect in the Cardinals’ Minor League system, will also play for Peoria (Ariz.) in the prospect showcase. Catcher Sammy Hernandez, third baseman Cade McGee, left-handed pitcher Michael Watson and right-handed pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt will also represent the Cardinals in the league that is designed to give rising prospects more work over the winter.
For years, the Cardinals have used the Arizona Fall League as something of a finishing school that has allowed rising prospects to further prove themselves and often springboard from the Minor Leagues to the big-league club.
In 2022, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Kyle Leahy and Pedro Pagés got fall ball experience before ultimately reaching the big leagues. In 2023, Michael McGreevy, Victor Scott II and Jimmy Crooks used Fall League experience as a foundation for their MLB climbs. And in 2024, Thomas Saggese, Matt Svanson and Nathan Church were standouts in Arizona before becoming regulars with the Cardinals in 2025.
Clarke, who was acquired from the Red Sox in the deal that sent first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston, missed the first half of the 2026 season because of a circulation issue in his left shoulder and arm. Making his first start on July 11, Clarke pitched at four levels as he worked his way back to form, striking out 44 and walking 17 in 29 2/3 innings over 10 starts while pitching to a 3.34 ERA.
Clarke, 23, joined the playoff-bound Double-A Springfield squad this week and fired four scoreless innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out seven and walked just one while hitting 102 mph on the radar gun with his four-seam fastball.
Roby, 24, hasn’t pitched since July of 2025 after injuring his right elbow and needing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. Acquired along with Saggese in the 2023 trade that sent left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Rangers, Roby was on the rise in 2025 when he pitched well and was promoted from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis.
In 16 starts of 2025, Roby went 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA. In 78 1/3 innings pitched, he struck out 87 and walked 19.
Peete, 21, was a first-round pick by Seattle in 2023 and was acquired from the Mariners in the deal that send All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan to the American League West Division. Peete, a native of Riverdale, Ga., who was drafted out of high school, is an intriguing prospect because of his rare combination of speed and power. Despite missing time with a concussion, Peete hit .296 with a .908 OPS with 19 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers and 56 RBI in 66 games Minor League games in 2026.
Incredibly, Peete hit for the cycle twice with High-A Peoria: He went 4 for 7 with four RBI and four runs scored on April 16 and he went 4 for 4 with four RBI and four runs scored on Aug. 1. After being promoted to Double-A Springfield, Peete hit .319 with an .849 OPS with five doubles, a triple, three homers and 16 RBI in 21 games Double-A games. He recorded four three-hit games with Springfield.
McGee, 23, is a player to watch with the Cardinals still looking for an every-day third baseman for 2027. In 96 games with High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, McGee hit .232. with an .828 OPS with 18 doubles, 17 homers and 51 RBI. He was a ninth-round pick of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech.
