Cardinals Phenom Wins Pitching Prospect Of The Year After Dominant Start To Career

St. Louis is excited for the young southpaw's future

Jun 26, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird hoists the Stanley Cup prior to the start of a game against the Oakland Athletics at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced plans to deprioritize the big-league roster, a move that would emphasize player development as the franchise looks to rebuild.

Over the last decade or so, the Cardinals have fallen behind the curve in producing quality homegrown talent from their farm system. Hopefully, Chaim Bloom's influence will put the franchise back on the right path.

Despite the Cardinals' fairly weak farm system, they have one of the fastest-rising hurlers in the minors, who has been recognized for his unbelievable first season as a professional pitcher.

Triple-A Memphis left-handed pitcher Quinn Matthews was named the 2024 Pitching Prospect of the Year Tuesday night after a remarkable season that saw him get promoted three times, according to MLB Pipeline.

Matthews posted an 8-5 record with a 2.76 ERA, 202-to-49 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .179 batting average against and a 0.98 WHIP in 143 1/3 innings pitched between his time playing for Single-A Palm Beach, High-A Peoria, Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis this season.

The 23-year-old began 2024 with Single-A Palm Beach but was quickly promoted after coming out of the gates hot. This trend continued for the talented southpaw until he reached the top of the pyramid with Triple-A Memphis.

After leading the minors in strikeouts by a considerable margin, -- the runner-up had 28 less than Matthews -- there are high hopes for the young starting pitcher.

With St. Louis shifting its energy and focus toward player development, it's encouraging to know that Matthews, the top pitching prospect from 2024, is a member of the Cardinals organization. Who knows, perhaps he could be the club's next ace.

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