Cardinals Top Prospect Liam Doyle's Early Numbers Don't Tell Full Story

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in baseball rigth now down with Double-A Springfield in Liam Doyle.

Doyle, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2025 with the No. 5 overall pick, is the team's No. 1 overall prospect right now. MLB.com has him ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect in the game. Keith Law of The Athletic also has him ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect in the game. Doyle is known for his flistering fastball and has been developing his secondary pitches throughout the season so far.

Some fans have pointed to his ERA down in Double-A as a red flag this season. He has a 5.86 ERA in 43 innings pitched. But there really isn't any cause for concern yet. Again, he's a young guy developing and adjusting to pro ball. It's also not as if he's in the lower levels of the minors. He's two steps away from the majors right now in Double-A. It's certainly not easy and he's developing his pitches at the same time.

The Cardinals Prospect Is Going To Be Just Fine

St. Louis Cardinals prospect Liam Doyle — Tennessee's Liam Doyle (12) sends love to the Tennessee fans after Tennesee defeated Wake Forest at the NCAA college baseball Knoxville Regional final on June 2, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One thing that should make Cardinals fans feel better is what Double-A Springfield manager Patrick Anderson had to say about the young lefty, as seen in a clip shared to X by Danielle King of KY3 News.

"I really enjoy being around him," Anderson said of Doyle. "He's just got to be around the plate more. And that's really what he's here for. He was put in Double-A pretty quickly last year and then jumping there this year and he's going to be just fine.

"Like I really feel good about what he's doing. Everybody wants to be able to see him jump, get those guys up there. You have the Paul Skenes' and all of these guys that are elite and they're like taking these young guys. I think he's going to be fine and I'm looking forward to seeing him progress. He's getting better, he really is."

Doyle has big-time strikeout stuff. Even though his ERA isn't great, he has a 60-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43 innings pitched. This is a 22-year-old with just 13 total professional starts under his belt so far. He's going to be just fine and at some point, he's going to help this Cardinals team — whether that is late this season, or much more likely next year.

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