Cardinals No. 9 Prospect Brandon Clarke Moves Up Amid Strong Season

The St. Louis Cardinals flamethrower prospect is heading to Double-A.

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

One of the St. Louis Cardinals' most intriguing prospects is now just two steps away from the big leagues at just 23 years old.

This past offseason, the Cardinals traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox and included $20 million in the deal to improve the return for the organization. The biggest piece of the return for the Cardinals was 23-year-old flamethrower Brandon Clarke as a result, among others.

Right now, Clarke is the Cardinals' No. 9 overall prospect. He missed time to begin the 2026 season, but the second he got healthy, he impressed, so much so that he topped 103 miles per hour with his fastball earlier in the season. He has made nine starts overall this season with the FCL Cardinals, Class-A Palm Beach, and High-A Peoria. Clarke has a 3.86 ERA and a 37-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 2/3 innings pitched.

Brandon Clarke Is Moving Up

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Clarke has been great. Over his last four starts, he logged a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings pitched. He pitched well enough that the Cardinals announced on Wednesday that the lefty is moving up to Double-A Springfield.

"LHP Brandon Clarke has been transferred from Peoria (A+) to Springfield (AA)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Nate Dohm has been transferred from Peoria to Springfield and placed on the Development List."

LHP Brandon Clarke has been transferred from Peoria (A+) to Springfield (AA).

RHP Nate Dohm has been transferred from Peoria to Springfield and placed on the Development List.

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) September 9, 2026

This is the first time in Clarke's young career that he has gotten the call to Double-A. Clarke was a fifth-round pick by Boston back in 2024. He didn't make his professional debut until 2025 in the Red Sox's farm system. He made 14 overall appearances and made it up to High-A Greenville. In High-A last year, Clarke had a 5.08 ERA in 11 starts. This year, he had a 3.44 ERA in five starts in High-A. Clear progress, despite a smaller sample size.

There's a lot to like about Clarke. It obviously starts with his fastball, but there's a reason why the Cardinals targeted him in the Gray deal. He has great size and is listed at 6'4'' and 220 pounds, to go along with the already-elite fastball. He has the upside to sit near the top of a big league starting rotation.

There are a few weeks left to go in the 2026 season. It would be surprising to see him get higher in the Cardinals' farm system, but he'll be someone to watch in Spring Training. The big league roster will have a few rotation spots to fill and if Clarke can shine down the stretch and in Spring Training, he's someone who very well could be in the mix.