In the Single-A Florida State League, 1,477 fans witnessed something remarkable on Saturday. Brandon Clarke, in his first game back of the season after a one-start rehab, lit up the radar gun in a way that no lefty has outside of All-Star Aroldis Chapman.
The Cardinals’ No. 7 prospect hit 103.1 mph, becoming just the second left-handed pitcher to touch 103+ mph in the pitch-tracking era. Including that record-breaking toss, Clarke topped the century mark 16 times out of his 36 total pitches in Palm Beach’s 7-4 win over St. Lucie at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
A fifth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2024, Clarke made his professional debut last season, splitting his time between Single-A and High-A. He racked up 60 strikeouts in 38 innings across 14 appearances but was ultimately hampered by blisters. During the offseason, he underwent left shoulder surgery to resolve a blood-flow issue.
COMPLETE CARDINALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
After joining the Cardinals organization as part of the Sonny Gray trade, Clarke spent the first half of the season rehabbing. He made his one and only rehab assignment appearance on July 11 in the Florida Complex League, striking out two in 1 2/3 innings.
"[Clarke] is someone that our pitching team did a lot of homework on as we were discussing this acquisition," Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom told MLB.com after the trade last November.
in high school and at the State College of Florida, Clarke possessed mostly a curveball and changeup to go along with his high-octane heat, but his best secondary pitch since joining the pro ranks has become a wipeout slider. He averaged 88 mph on the pitch last year and touched 91 at times.
The hard-biting offering generated a ridiculous 63 percent whiff rate and also enticed batters into a 33 percent chase rate.