Prospect Rankings
Player | Position | Team | Height / Weight | Bats | Throws | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SS/2B | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 2026 | 22 | 5' 10" / 190 lbs | L | R | |
2 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2025 | 22 | 6' 1" / 195 lbs | R | R | |
3 | LHP | St. Louis Cardinals | AAA | 2025 | 24 | 6' 5" / 188 lbs | L | L | |
4 | INF | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2024 | 22 | 5' 11" / 185 lbs | R | R | |
5 | C | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2025 | 23 | 6' 0" / 230 lbs | L | R | |
6 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2025 | 23 | 6' 1" / 210 lbs | R | R | |
7 | OF | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2026 | 23 | 6' 1" / 216 lbs | L | L | |
8 | LHP | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2025 | 23 | 6' 3" / 200 lbs | L | L | |
9 | C | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2026 | 20 | 6' 0" / 245 lbs | S | R | |
10 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2024 | 24 | 6' 4" / 220 lbs | L | R | |
11 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2024 | 24 | 6' 4" / 220 lbs | R | R | |
12 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | MLB | 2025 | 23 | 6' 1" / 195 lbs | R | R | |
13 | OF | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2026 | 23 | 6' 2" / 190 lbs | R | R | |
14 | INF | St. Louis Cardinals | AAA | 2025 | 25 | 5' 9" / 195 lbs | L | R | |
15 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 2026 | 23 | 6' 7" / 188 lbs | R | R | |
16 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 2026 | 20 | 6' 2" / 195 lbs | R | R | |
17 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2025 | 23 | 6' 0" / 240 lbs | R | R | |
18 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | AAA | 2025 | 25 | 6' 2" / 214 lbs | R | R | |
19 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2027 | 21 | 5' 11" / 203 lbs | R | R | |
20 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | A+ | 2026 | 21 | 5' 11" / 150 lbs | R | R | |
21 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2029 | 17 | 6' 3" / 187 lbs | R | R | |
22 | C | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 2027 | 22 | 5' 8" / 190 lbs | L | R | |
23 | C | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2029 | 17 | 5' 10" / 197 lbs | R | R | |
24 | OF | St. Louis Cardinals | A+ | 2026 | 21 | 6' 1" / 200 lbs | L | L | |
25 | OF | St. Louis Cardinals | A+ | 2026 | 22 | 6' 0" / 211 lbs | R | R | |
26 | 2B/SS | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2028 | 19 | 6' 0" / 185 lbs | S | R | |
27 | C | St. Louis Cardinals | AA | 2027 | 20 | 5' 8" / 185 lbs | R | R | |
28 | LHP | St. Louis Cardinals | A+ | 2025 | 24 | 6' 2" / 205 lbs | R | L | |
29 | SS | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 2029 | 17 | 6' 0" / 170 lbs | S | R | |
30 | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 2026 | 23 | 6' 2" / 168 lbs | R | R |
- AGE21
- BATSR
- DOB12/28/2002
- THROWSR
- HT5' 11"
- SIGNEDJuly 2, 2019 - STL
- WT150
- ETA2026
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40
Saladin signed with the Cardinals for $200,000 in July 2019, but due to that timing and the pandemic-canceled season the following year, he couldn’t debut in the Dominican Summer League until 2021. After first beginning in the DSL as an 18-year-old reliever, he repeated the level as a starter in 2022, moved stateside the following summer and has broken out in full-season ball this year. He owned a 1.95 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 60 innings for Single-A Palm Beach before being promoted to High-A Peoria in late June.
It’s all about the four-seam fastball for the 5-foot-11 right-hander. The heater features average velocity in the 92-94 mph range -- topping out at 95.7 in the Florida State League -- but it plays like a plus pitch because it comes from a relatively low release height and flies toward the top of the zone with a flat vertical approach angle, leading to a ton of whiffs compared to other four-seamers. His secondaries aren’t quite as effective. A low-80s slider doesn’t have a ton of break and was very hittable in the zone in the FSL. Saladin’s mid-80s changeup features some armside run but lacks the quality to hold off issues against lefties.
Saladin doesn’t cut an imposing figure on the bump for his size, but a loose delivery helps him pump strikes, enough to keep getting him starting looks. A long arm action might be tougher to keep consistent the higher he climbs, and without a fuller group of secondaries, there is reliever risk here. But the fastball alone makes Saladin a prominent prospect in the midst of his age-21 season.