Cardinals to Send 8 Players to Arizona Fall League

These players will represent the Cardinals in the AFL.

Apr 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; a detailed view of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hat with a patch honoring Jackie Robinson during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 season has been a pleasant surprise for the St. Louis Cardinals. While they'll likely be sitting out the postseason for a fourth straight year, they have taken a lot of steps forward as an organization, and a lot of it has to do with the trades Chaim Bloom made in the offseason to kick off the Cardinals' rebuild.

Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras were all shipped out over the winter, and the Cardinals brought back some very promising young prospects in exchange for their veteran pieces.

The Arizona Fall League will begin soon, and that is often a good chance for organizations to get a closer look at some of their young prospects. Because the Cardinals have such a deep farm system now, they'll have that chance in a few weeks. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat, St. Louis will be sending eight players to the AFL.

Cardinals going to the AFL:

OF Tai Peete
C Sammy Hernandez
3B Cade McGee
LHP Brandon Clarke
RHP Tekoah Roby
RHP Nate Dohm
LHP Michael Watson
RHP Frank Elissalt

Lots of guys who missed significant time this year due to injury. Roby, on his way back from TJ, stands out.

— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) September 15, 2026

Cardinals send 8 players to AFL

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A general view of the helmet of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Everson Pereira (not pictured) during the second inning in the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As Jones mentions, one of the players that stands out here is right-hander Tekoah Roby. The Cardinals acquired him in 2023 from the Texas Rangers along with Thomas Saggese and John King. Unfortunately, Roby has missed time due to Tommy John surgery, so now is a good time for the Cardinals to see what they have in him.

Outfielder Tai Peete was acquired in the Donovan deal and brings power from the left side of the plate. Pitchers Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm were acquired from the New York Mets for Ryan Helsley at the trade deadline in 2025, and they are ranked within the Cardinals' top 30 prospects.

One of the more interesting players on the list is left-hander Brandon Clarke. The Cardinals got him from the Boston Red Sox in the Sonny Gray deal. He dealt with an arm injury early this season, but he is a high-upside pitcher with velocity that Chaim Bloom is very high on, so there is a lot to look forward to as the Cardinals try to look towards the future and build something positive.

The Cardinals have a very deep farm system after just a few years of work from Bloom, and they have taken a lot of very important steps forward, which sets them up well for 2027 and beyond. It will be interesting to see how these players perform in the AFL in the coming weeks.

The Cardinals may not be a postseason team, but the fall season is still going to be action packed.