Following a disappointing campaign that ended without a playoff appearance — and amid trade rumors surrounding Nolan Arenado that could signal the beginning of a rebuild — the St. Louis Cardinals may have uncovered a bright spot for their future in 22-year-old right-hander Darlin Saladin, who’s been a standout performer in the Arizona Fall League. Once an unranked prospect within the organization, Saladin has turned a frustrating season into a breakout showing that’s drawing national attention.
Baseball America spotlighted his impressive stretch on its X (formerly Twitter) account Friday, noting the growing buzz from scouts:
“Darlin Saladin is turning heads in the AFL.
The 22-year-old righthander has recorded seven consecutive scoreless innings – including his performance on Thursday, when he tossed a perfect fifth inning.”
Since that post, Saladin has extended his streak. Entering Saturday’s action, he’s logged 11 straight scoreless innings for the Glendale Desert Dogs, tied for the league lead with a 0.00 ERA. In his most recent outing, he struck out six batters over three innings, reaching 96 mph with his fastball and displaying much sharper command of his secondary pitches.
For an organization hungry for young, controllable arms, this stretch carries real weight. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 for $200,000, Saladin rose through the ranks on the strength of a lively fastball-slider combination that once had scouts invoking “Johnny Cueto” comparisons. During his 2024 season between Palm Beach and Peoria, he posted a 2.71 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate, but wavering command the following year pushed his ERA to 4.80 and left his trajectory in doubt.
Now, under the Arizona sun, that uncertainty has turned into momentum. Scouts cite sharper breaking pitches, better strike efficiency, and a smoother, more repeatable delivery that helps him stay in rhythm longer. His fastball has regained its late life, and his slider is once again generating steady swings and misses. The revival has caught attention not just within the Cardinals organization but throughout the league, where evaluators see him as a “legitimate breakout candidate.”
Should this dominance persist, Saladin could force his way into the rotation picture by spring or evolve into a multi-inning relief option trusted in high-leverage spots. His rise represents exactly what St. Louis has been missing — development rooted in resilience rather than reputation.
For a farm system still searching for internal pitching answers, his resurgence provides something increasingly rare: “authentic hope for the future.”