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Outfield Prospect 'Excited' for Cardinals' Future with Young Talent in Place
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- Outfield Prospect 'Excited' for Cardinals' Future with Young Talent in Place
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals can gaze into the future and dream of better days ahead with the collection of blossoming talent the club has stockpiled at the Minor League.
As for speedy centerfielder Tai Peete – one of those rapidly blossoming Cardinals' up-and-coming players – he is smack in the middle of the prospect process, and he too is already dreaming of the day when all the club's top prospects hit St. Louis together. Consider the club's No. 17-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, downright giddy as well as to just how good the Cardinals could get in a matter of years.
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"Seeing these guys and the way they play … I mean, (top prospect) Rainiel (Rodriguez) is 19 years old and he's the most mature, unbelievable player I've played with," Peete said this week to Baseball America's Hot Sheet Show. "Being able to play with these guys – with Jesus Baez and with Josh Baez – if I was a fan, I'd be excited because it's sick watching them play.
"I'm excited to play with these guys in the future and hopefully they have long careers and play for 10-12 years. It's really going to be something special."
Peete, who was acquired by the Cardinals from the Mariners last February in the trade centered around All-Star outfielder Brendan Donovan, has resembled something special in his first season in the Cardinals' system. Peete, 21, showed off his rare combination of speed and power by twice hitting for the cycle at High-A Peoria. Then, after earning a promotion to Double-A Springfield, he slashed .319/.360/.489/.849 with five doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI and four stolen bases in 21 games. In the Texas League championship series, Peete helped the Cardinals jump to a 1-0 lead over Amarillo with a 5-for-5 game with a double, a 421-foot homer and four RBI.
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He has carried his strong play over to the Arizona Fall League, an offseason platform that the Cardinals have used as a finishing school for prospects for years. He smashed a 425-foot homer off the batter's eye in his first AFL game, and later posted a three-hit, three-stolen base game. On Tuesday, he scored twice more, reached on a walk and drove in a run. He is hitting .333 with four stolen bases in six tries.
"I'm working on being consistent, as consistent as I can," Peete Told Baseball America. "Just staying on the field is what I'm trying to do and get as many at bats as I can, (play with) high effort and I'm trying to get down the line. There are a lot of things right now with my swing, I want to keep it where it's at and not change much. Just small tweaks, all mental and nothing physical. I'm trying to be better on the basepaths and taking a few more bags this year."
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Peete struck out 162 times in 2024 and '25 while in the Mariners' system, but he trimmed those whiffs to 84 this season in 66 games. He missed time with a concussion and its lingering effects, but he explained some of the approach changes he has made to lessen his swing-and-miss rate.
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"I widened out a little bit with my two-strike approach," Peete said of his feet in the box. "And I'm staying through the middle of the field. That is what I've been attacking."
While he admittedly thinks often what it will be like to someday play in the big leagues with the Cardinals, Peete is trying to keep his focus on the work he needs to do to become a more well-rounded player.
"I think for me, it's about staying present," he said. "I'm staying in the moment and I'm not trying to get too big (with his swing) or do too much. I'm just trusting the (organization) and them trusting me as a player.
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"There's not much I can control. The only thing I can do is stay healthy and take care of my body. I trust the Cardinals and everything they do. But I am excited and I'm young and hopefully I'll have a long, fruitful career."
