Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Pitching Phenom One Step Away From Debut After Third Promotion In 2024

The young St. Louis prospect is tearing it up this season

Nate Hagerty

Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
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The St. Louis Cardinals don't have a robust farm system at the moment but that doesn't condemn the organization to future shortcomings.

St. Louis' elderly pitching staff isn't getting any younger and tough decisions must be made soon. With Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn's future in question and the Cardinals lacking a genuine ace after Sonny Gray's recent regression, it's not too early to look ahead.

That said, a Cardinals' top pitching prospect is storming through the minors and looking like he could be the next premier starter for St. Louis.

"Left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews has been transferred from Springfield (AA) to Memphis (AAA)," the organization announced Wednesday after the young hurler pitched a gem the night before where he gave up one earned run on two hits, 12 strikeouts and one walk in 7 2/3 innings pitched against Double-A Tulsa.

Matthews has posted an 8-3 record with a 2.27 ERA, 180-to-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .165 batting average against and a 0.85 WHIP in 126 2/3 innings pitched between his time playing for Single-A Palm Beach, High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield this season.

After being drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Matthews is on an incredibly fast pace to make it to the show. It's rare to see a player promoted from Single-A to Triple-A in one season -- let alone his first as a professional pitcher.

It's doubtful St. Louis will promote Matthews for a fourth time this season to give him his debut but at the rate he's transcending, it won't be long before he's pitching at Busch Stadium.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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