Cardinals Rookie Making His Case To Secure 2027 Rotation Spot

As the St. Louis Cardinals close out the season and look ahead to next year, one young hurler has continued to stand out.

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With just under a dozen games left in the regular season, it's all but certain the St. Louis Cardinals will miss out on the playoffs.

Throughout most of this season, St. Louis has stayed in the playoff race, but it would take a miracle now to reach the postseason, as the team sits nearly eight games back. It's unfortunate the Cardinals likely won't be playing baseball in October, but this season should still be viewed as a major success. After trading away star players in the offseason and selling at the trade deadline, the Cardinals were not expected to be a good team.

St. Louis surprised the entire league by already winning 75 games this year and has been developing some of its young players into stars before our eyes. Rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt has quickly become a franchise cornerstone for the Cardinals' future, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson have flourished into bona fide stars.

As the season nears its end, some interesting things have been happening. More players have had the opportunity to perform in the big leagues over the last month or so. Leo Bernal has stepped up for the Cardinals' offense, racking up 14 RBIs in just 13 games, while Quinn Matthews spun a gem in his Monday outing against the San Francisco Giants that should give the organization plenty to think about this offseason.

Matthews is coming off his most impressive performance to date

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Matthews (60) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Matthews was great against the Giants, pitching 6 2/3 innings in the Cardinals' 2-1 victory, racking up eight strikeouts while allowing only one run and four hits. The 25-year-old retired the first 10 batters he faced on Monday and has shown flashes of potential across his seven starts in St. Louis, allowing more than two earned runs in a game just once.

Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante are locks for St. Louis' starting rotation in the 2027 season, but there are question marks behind those three pitchers for the remaining spots, especially after Hunter Dobbins underwent Tommy John surgery. With how poorly Matthew Liberatore has played this season, Matthews is likely one of the top candidates to secure a rotation spot along with Cooper Hjerpe and Richard Fitts.

Matthews has been great for the Cardinals this season, and if he continues to perform at this high a level, it would be hard to imagine he won't secure a spot in St. Louis' starting rotation next season.