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.
