Former Stanford Lefty Earns Pitcher of the Month Honors

Dylan Grausz | Sep 8, 2024

Jun 19, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Stanford Cardinal starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (26) throws against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The month of August was a dominant one for Quinn Mathews, with the left-hander punishing hitters with his stuff while down in Double-A for the Springfield Cardinals. After putting together a strong string of performances, the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 3 prospect was awarded the Texas League Pitcher of the Month.

For August, Mathews recorded a 0.70 ERA while in Double-A, pitching his best game on August 17, when he went seven shutout innings against the Frisco Roughriders, allowing five hits and striking out 11. In his very next start against the Tulsa Drillers on August 23, Mathews struck out 12 batters in 7 2/3 innings, only allowing two hits and a walk while giving up a run that came via the long ball. After his start against Tulsa, Mathews soon got the call up to Triple-A, where he made his first start on August 30.

Mathews, who was drafted out of Stanford with the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round in the 2023 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, has quickly ascended through the farm system, beginning the season in Low-A before climbing up to Double-A and now Triple-A. A hard thrower, Mathews is capable of striking out a lot of batters, making him a tough pitcher to face.

Pitching at Stanford for four seasons from 2020-2023, Mathews left Palo Alto with a 25-10 record, having a 4.10 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 68 appearances, going back and forth between being a starter and a reliever. Pitching 311 innings in his college career, he had a high strikeout total, punching out 343 during his time with the Cardinal. A core piece of coach David Esquer’s pitching staff, Mathews helped the Cardinal reach the College World Series three straight times from 2021-2023.

It still remains to be seen when Mathews will get his chance to showcase his abilities in the big leagues, but for a guy with as much talent as he has, it could be entirely possible that we see Mathews put on a St. Louis uniform at some point during the 2025 season.