Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50 

Peete intrigues scouts because he's one of the youngest players (he won't turn 18 until August) and has as much bat speed as anyone in the prep class. He's also somewhat of an enigma because he walked off the mound at the East Coast Pro showcase last August with an apparent elbow injury that has never been clarified. He hasn't pitched this spring after running his fastball to 95 mph and showing advanced feel for a changeup last summer. 

With an electric left-handed swing and projectable strength and leverage in his 6-foot-2 frame, Peete sports well-above-average raw power. He needs more polish at the plate, as he rarely uses the opposite field and is less effective when he lapses into trying to launch balls as far as possible. He'll also have to prove he can make consistent contact against quality pitching after struggling to do so previously. 

One of the better all-around athletes among 2023 high schoolers, Peete has plus speed and had displayed similar arm strength in the past. The Georgia Tech recruit rarely has cut loose while throwing from a low arm slot this spring. He has range to both sides at shortstop and should he have to move, he would fit the offensive profile at third base and the defensive profile in center field. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

The Mariners took high school hitters in the first round for three Drafts in a row, ending with Colt Emerson in 2023. They also took three straight prep bats that year, following Emerson with Jonny Farmelo and then Peete, all taken in the Top 30 picks. Peete signed for a little under slot, $2.5 million, and the former Georgia two-way standout split his brief pro debut between the Arizona Complex League and full-season Modesto as he focused on hitting only. He spent his first full season back with Modesto and showed flashes of the tools that made him a top prospect, but also inconsistencies that need to be addressed. He still didn’t quite click offensively at High-A in 2025 and was traded to the Cardinals in the offseason as part of a three-team deal for Brendan Donovan.

A premium athlete with a wide receiver's 6-foot-2 frame, Peete has a left-handed swing geared to do damage at the plate. He has immense raw power and showed flashes of it in 2024, with an approach that could let him crush balls to all fields. But he just as easily can get out of that approach when he tries to sell out for power, and while he does draw some walks, the 30.7 percent strikeout rate he registered in 2024 and 30.6 percent mark in ’25 aren’t going to work as he moves up the ladder. He doesn't have great rhythm and feel at the plate and could be an ambush power-over-hit type of offensive player.

Peete uses his speed well on the basepaths, and he stole 70 bags over his first two full seasons in pro ball. He's seen time at shortstop, third base and in the outfield, and he might fit best long term in center, where he saw the bulk of his duties in the summer before his move to St. Louis.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45 

Touted as arguably the most athletic prep position player in the 2023 Draft, the Mariners were extremely bullish on Peete's potential, to the point where they took him in Competitive Balance Round A at No. 30 overall and signed him for $2.5 million, earmarking him to be a huge part of their offensive future along with many of his peers taken in that year's class. A two-way player in high school in Georgia, Peete dialed his velocity up to 95 mph off the mound but will transition exclusively to the hitting side in the pros. 

With a 6-foot-2, 193-pound frame, Peete has the look of a small forward or wide receiver and probably could've pursued a path in either sport. He has an electric left-handed swing that taps into tape-measure power, evidenced by grand slams in consecutive innings at Low-A Modesto last August, which were also the first two homers of his pro career. He also runs extremely well and has decent range, which keeps his options open at shortstop, third base and center field and makes him a potential premium player should he fully realize his potential. 

The knock on Peete in his incredibly early stages is that he can be susceptible to peaks and valleys at the plate. He rarely uses the opposite field and can get out of a solid approach when trying to pull balls. Those moments make him an easy target for quality pitchers, which he'll need to improve upon to continue climbing up the system. But the tools are all there.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50 

Intriguing the scouting industry with being one of the youngest players in the 2023 Draft class and with as much bat speed as any prep hitter this year, Peete looked like he might be an exciting two-way player until he walked off the mound at the East Coast Pro Showcase last summer with an apparent elbow injury. He didn't pitch at all in the spring, but the offensive tools were more than enough to get the Mariners to take him in the Competitive Balance Round A and sign him for $2.5 million.

With an electric left-handed swing and projectable strength and leverage in his 6-foot-2 frame, Peete sports well-above-average raw power. He needs more polish at the plate, as he rarely uses the opposite field and is less effective when he lapses into trying to launch balls as far as possible. He'll also have to prove he can make consistent contact against quality pitching after struggling to do so previously. 

One of the better all-around athletes among 2023 high schoolers, Peete has plus speed and had displayed similar arm strength in the past, having been up to 95 mph off the mound, though he rarely cut loose while throwing from a low arm slot this past spring. He has range to both sides at shortstop and should he have to move, he would fit the offensive profile at third base and the defensive profile in center field.

Awards

NWL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/27/2025

CAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

CAL Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/27/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	02/23/2026	OF Tai Peete roster status changed by St. Louis Cardinals.
	02/23/2026	OF Tai Peete assigned to St. Louis Cardinals.
	02/02/2026	St. Louis Cardinals traded 2B Brendan Donovan to Seattle Mariners for CF Colton Ledbetter, SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, Draft Pick and Draft Pick.
	02/02/2026	OF Tai Peete assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	04/01/2025	SS Tai Peete assigned to Everett AquaSox from Modesto Nuts.
	03/06/2025	activated 3B Tai Peete.
	02/22/2025	3B Tai Peete assigned to Seattle Mariners.
	05/24/2024	Modesto Nuts activated SS Tai Peete from the 7-day injured list.
	05/17/2024	Modesto Nuts placed SS Tai Peete on the 7-day injured list.
	03/07/2024	Seattle Mariners Prospects activated SS Tai Peete.
	03/06/2024	SS Tai Peete assigned to Seattle Mariners.
	08/23/2023	SS Tai Peete assigned to Modesto Nuts from ACL Mariners.
	08/03/2023	SS Tai Peete assigned to ACL Mariners.
	07/18/2023	Seattle Mariners signed SS Tai Peete.
	05/22/2023	SS Tai Peete assigned to College Workout.
	05/22/2023	College Workout activated SS Tai Peete.
	08/24/2022	USA Baseball 18U National Team activated SS Tai Peete.
	08/24/2022	SS Tai Peete assigned to USA Baseball 18U National Team.
	07/18/2022	SS Tai Peete and assigned to High School Workout.
	07/18/2022	High School Workout activated SS Tai Peete.