Darlin Saladin, RHP, Cardinals: Saladin has quickly gotten the attention of scouts on the Arizona Fall League circuit. The 22-year-old righthander has tossed seven consecutive scoreless innings, including three more on Thursday, where he struck out six batters and fanned the side in a perfect fifth inning. Saladin wasn’t done there—later in the game, he added two more strikeouts, including one against Jack Hurley, who had homered twice and came just a triple shy of the cycle. Saladin also sat down Charlie Condon and Jansel Luis. Saladin has struck out 10 batters and allowed just three hits, though he has also walked five batters through seven innings.

That command was a problem area for Saladin during the season, where the undersized 5-foot-11 righty logged 94.2 innings for High-A Peoria and saw his walk rate (11.5%) spike from 6.7% the year before and his strikeout rate plummet from 27.4% in 2024 to 19.8% this season. Saladin’s 92 mph fastball took a step back in both shape and performance, but he gets an above-average amount of miss on all three secondaries, and it’s clear he’s working through some arsenal changes after dialing up the usage of his curveball and altering the shape of his changeup.

Saladin’s velocity has also ticked up in shorter stints in Arizona, where his fastball sat 94-95 on Thursday and his slider sat in the mid 80s. The righty ended the year unranked in the Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospects and was left unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft last season, but a strong second half in the Fall League could be the springboard Saladin needs for a bounceback 2026 season as he readies for the upper minors.

Jack Hurley, OF, D-backs: What’s better than one home run? How about two? D-backs prospect Jack Hurley put on a show, driving in eight runs in a monster performance that will leave a lasting impression. The talented outfielder started the day with an RBI double, quickly followed by a bases-clearing triple. Hurley capped off his offensive explosion with two home runs in his final at-bats, both two-run blasts. He was a single away from hitting for the cycle and bumped his average to .250 after his stellar performance.

Chris Suero, C/OF, Mets: Suero continues to impress at the plate while taking on a new defensive challenge in the Arizona Fall League. Tasked with gaining more experience in the outfield, the 21-year-old has shown poise and steady development despite the learning curve that comes with switching positions. Suero’s progress at the plate has remained consistent. On Thursday, he turned in another strong performance for Scottsdale, going 2-for-4 and showcasing his power with a solo home run to right-center field—his third of the fall campaign.

Blake Mitchell, C, Royals: Mitchell has never had trouble hitting the ball hard, but Thursday night in Mesa may have been one of his most impressive showings yet. The Royals catcher absolutely crushed a no-doubt, three-run homer that left the bat at 116.5 mph and soared deep into the night, leaving little doubt about Mitchell's natural raw power. The blast was Mitchell's first homer of the fall circuit. He's hitting just .206 through 10 games, but perhaps this could propel him to have a strong second half.

Starlyn Caba, SS, Marlins: Caba matched his 2025 season home run total on Thursday, connecting for his first homer of the Arizona Fall League campaign. The Marlins infield prospect launched a two-run shot that left his bat at 99 mph and carried just far enough to clear the wall in right field. The blast added to what’s been a strong showing for Caba, who is looking to make up for lost time after missing half the 2025 season with a thumb injury. Now in his first year with the Marlins organization following his move from the Phillies in the Jesús Luzardo trade, Caba is using the fall circuit to regain his rhythm at the plate and continue his development against advanced competition.

Editor’s Picks

The World Series begins tonight! To celebrate, this week’s Prospect Podcast digs into the archives to discuss what we saw from World Series stars when they were prospects.

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Marlins RHP Karson Milbrandt continues to show high-powered swing-and-miss stuff in the desert. He punched out seven batters over 2.2 innings of one-run ball on Thursday.

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