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Prospect Rankings

PlayerPositionTeamHeight / WeightBatsThrows
1
Photo headshot of JJ Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt
SS/2B
St. Louis Cardinals
A
2026225' 10" / 190 lbsLR
2
Photo headshot of Tink Hence
Tink Hence
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2025226' 1" / 195 lbsRR
3
Photo headshot of Quinn Mathews
Quinn Mathews
LHP
St. Louis Cardinals
AAA
2025246' 5" / 188 lbsLL
4
Photo headshot of Thomas Saggese
Thomas Saggese
INF
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2024225' 11" / 185 lbsRR
5
Photo headshot of Jimmy Crooks
Jimmy Crooks
C
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2025236' 0" / 230 lbsLR
6
Photo headshot of Tekoah Roby
Tekoah Roby
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2025236' 1" / 210 lbsRR
7
Photo headshot of Chase Davis
Chase Davis
OF
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2026236' 1" / 216 lbsLL
8
Photo headshot of Cooper Hjerpe
Cooper Hjerpe
LHP
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2025236' 3" / 200 lbsLL
9
Photo headshot of Leonardo Bernal
Leonardo Bernal
C
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2026206' 0" / 245 lbsSR
10
Photo headshot of Michael McGreevy
Michael McGreevy
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2024246' 4" / 220 lbsLR
11
Photo headshot of Gordon Graceffo
Gordon Graceffo
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2024246' 4" / 220 lbsRR
12
Photo headshot of Sem Robberse
Sem Robberse
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
MLB
2025236' 1" / 195 lbsRR
13
Photo headshot of Travis Honeyman
Travis Honeyman
OF
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2026236' 2" / 190 lbsRR
14
Photo headshot of César Prieto
César Prieto
INF
St. Louis Cardinals
AAA
2025255' 9" / 195 lbsLR
15
Photo headshot of Chen-Wei Lin
Chen-Wei Lin
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
A
2026236' 7" / 188 lbsRR
16
Photo headshot of Zack Showalter
Zack Showalter
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
A
2026206' 2" / 195 lbsRR
17
Photo headshot of Max Rajcic
Max Rajcic
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2025236' 0" / 240 lbsRR
18
Photo headshot of Ian Bedell
Ian Bedell
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
AAA
2025256' 2" / 214 lbsRR
19
Photo headshot of Brian Holiday
Brian Holiday
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2027215' 11" / 203 lbsRR
20
Photo headshot of Darlin Saladin
Darlin Saladin
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
A+
2026215' 11" / 150 lbsRR
21
Photo headshot of Branneli Franco
Branneli Franco
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2029176' 3" / 187 lbsRR
22
Photo headshot of Ryan Campos
Ryan Campos
C
St. Louis Cardinals
A
2027225' 8" / 190 lbsLR
23
Photo headshot of Rainiel Rodriguez
Rainiel Rodriguez
C
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2029175' 10" / 197 lbsRR
24
Photo headshot of Won-Bin Cho
Won-Bin Cho
OF
St. Louis Cardinals
A+
2026216' 1" / 200 lbsLL
25
Photo headshot of Zach Levenson
Zach Levenson
OF
St. Louis Cardinals
A+
2026226' 0" / 211 lbsRR
26
Photo headshot of Jonathan Mejia
Jonathan Mejia
2B/SS
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2028196' 0" / 185 lbsSR
27
Photo headshot of Sammy Hernandez
Sammy Hernandez
C
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2027205' 8" / 185 lbsRR
28
Photo headshot of Pete Hansen
Pete Hansen
LHP
St. Louis Cardinals
A+
2025246' 2" / 205 lbsRL
29
Photo headshot of Yairo Padilla
Yairo Padilla
SS
St. Louis Cardinals
ROK
2029176' 0" / 170 lbsSR
30
Photo headshot of Luis Gastelum
Luis Gastelum
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
A
2026236' 2" / 168 lbsRR
20
Darlin
Saladin
RHP, Peoria Chiefs, A+
  • AGE
    21
  • BATS
    R
  • DOB
    12/28/2002
  • THROWS
    R
  • HT
    5' 11"
  • SIGNED
    July 2, 2019 - STL
  • WT
    150
  • ETA
    2026

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.