Cardinals Top Pitching Prospect Leads Minors In Strikeouts; Could He Be Next Ace?

St. Louis is looking forward to the young hurler's future

Aug 20, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium as the sun sets during the fourth inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the oldest rotations in the league and it won't be long before the organization has to look elsewhere for starters.

Luckily, St. Louis has several intriguing minor league pitchers who could soon have an impact, such as Tink Hence, the Cardinals No. 1 top prospect.

There's another Cardinals pitching prospect who's flown under the radar as one of the most dominant pitchers in all of Minor League Baseball. Could he be the team's next ace?

Double-A Springfield left-handed pitcher Quinn Matthews has recorded the most strikeouts of any pitcher in the minors this season with 157 punch-outs, according to Fangraphs.

Matthews has posted a 7-3 record with a 2.49 ERA, 157-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .168 batting average against and a 0.89 WHIP in 112 innings pitched this season.

The 23-year-old began 2024 playing for Single-A Palm Beach but has quickly risen to Double-A Springfield in his first season as a professional pitcher.

Since his last promotion, Matthews has posted a 1-1 record with a 3.11 ERA, 47-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .201 batting average against and a 1.12 WHIP in 37 2/3 innings pitched.

The pitching phenom has exceptional control and can throw a 97 MPH fastball, making him a potentially deadly weapon to have in the rotation.

As much as the Cardinals would love to see what Matthews can do at the big league level, he still has some developing to do before he can take that next step. His debut won't come this season but perhaps within the next year or two, St. Louis will have a left-handed ace at the front of the rotation.

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