ST. LOUIS – 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.
Who, Cardinals fans have to be wondering, will be the next players to make the climb from the Arizona Fall League to the big leagues in 2026? The likeliest of candidates – right-handed pitchers Chen-Wei Lin and Darlin Saladin and outfielder Miguel Ugueto – were chosen last week to play in the AFL’s Fall Stars Game.
COMPLETE CARDINALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Here is a look at how the eight Cardinals prospects have fared in this year’s Arizona Fall League:
RHP Chen-Wei Lin: The 6-foot-7 Lin, a native of Taiwan, had bounced back nicely from a rocky 2025 in which he pitched at three Minor Level levels. The hard-throwing right-hander has an AFL-best three wins despite a 6.57 ERA in five starts. He does have 19 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings this fall. During the regular season, the 23-year-old Lin struck out 70 batters in 50 1/3 innings.
RF Miguel Ugueto: The Venezuela native played at three levels in the Cardinals’ system last season, going from Single-A Palm Beach to High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield. After playing 50 games for the Texas League champs in 2025, the 23-year-old Ugueto has hit .328 with two doubles, a homer and 14 RBIs in 16 Fall League games, and he hit a game-tying two-run single in Sunday’s Fall Stars Game.
RHP Darlin Saladin: Following a strong 2024 season in which he went 10-3 with a 2.71 ERA, Saladin mostly struggled in 26 outings (13 starts) with High-A Peoria. Without the benefit of much swing-and-miss stuff – he had just 81 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings – Saladin saw his ERA climb to 4.85. In the AFL, he’s worked mostly in relief while compiling a 1-0 record and an 0.82 ERA in 11 innings, and he gave up a run while taking the loss in Sunday’s Fall Stars Game.
OF Travis Honeyman: The Cardinals were excited when Honeyman – a third-round pick in 2023 – started the AFL with a bang by smashing a 429-foot home run. While he did hit a second home run, the 24-year-old Honeyman has had a tough go of it at the plate. He’s hit just .171 with a double and seven RBIs in 12 games to go with the two long balls. Honeyman, who has battled shoulder and hamstring injuries in the past, has flashed his speed with three stolen bases in as many tries.
RHP Randel Clemente: The 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic showed some tremendous promise in his fifth season in the Minor Leagues, pitching well enough to move up three levels. In the AFL, he has had his struggles in seven relief outings. Not only does he have a 7.11 ERA in 6 1/3 innings, the opposition has also hit .321 off him.
RHP Tyler Bradt: Bradt, a 16th-round pick in 2023 out of East Carolina University, pitched well out of the bullpen for Springfield this season after being promoted from High-A. In 11 outings at Springfield, Bradt posted a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings. In seven outings in the AFL, he has a 5.68 ERA over 6 1/3 innings.
RHP D.J. Carpenter: Lin is actually the second-tallest player among the Cardinals competing in the AFL because of the 6-foot-8 Carpenter, who has had a nice bounce-back season after missing the past two years. The Oregon State product, who was a 14th-round pick in 2022, appeared in relief 36 times this season for High-A Peoria. He registered three wins, three holds and two saves for the Chiefs. Despite that progress, he has been hit hard in Arizona, allowing six earned runs in six innings.
C Graysen Tarlow: The Cal-Northridge product, who was a 19th-round pick in 2023, had gotten into just 10 games thus far in the AFL. He has five hits, five walks and one RBI in 31 at-bats. In 2025, the 24-year-old catcher was promoted from Peoria to Double-A Springfield, where he backed up MiLB Gold Glove catcher Leonardo Bernal.