Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals No. 2 Prospect Pushing Hard For MLB Promotion

The Cardinals phenom is making his case for a big league promotion...
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

With the St. Louis Cardinals having an eye to the future, could that lead to one of the team’s top prospects getting a shot in the big leagues in the near future?

This is a topic that is going to be discussed at length throughout the final stretch of the season. That's not a slight at the club. Right now, the Cardinals are 58-58. For all of the flak that St. Louis has gotten, it still has been significantly better than other sellers throughout the season. Take a look at teams like the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, or even the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals have gotten some negative buzz for a good chunk of the season, especially around the trade deadline, but they're still a .500 team.

Chaim Bloom will have the tough task of turning things around starting in the offseason. It would be good to see what the club has right now and who can be a part of the future. We're going to see a lot of young guys on the field over the next few years for St. Louis and one guy who is making a case for himself right now is No. 2 prospect Quinn Mathews.

Should Cardinals call up No. 2 prospect Quinn Mathews down the stretch?

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews
Feb 12, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews throws during Spring Training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Cardinals already made a change for the starting rotation before the All-Star break giving Michael McGreevy a consistent role. Mathews is the next guy who should receive this treatment as well. Overall this season, he has a 3.36 ERA in 17 total starts. He has made 15 starts in Triple-A and one each in Class-A and rookie ball.

He made arguably his best start of the season on Thursday. Mathews pitched seven innings and allowed just two base hits while striking out nine batters. It was his second straight start with nine strikeouts. Overall, he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs since July 5th. In his last five starts, Mathews has a 1.78 ERA and a 34-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 1/3 innings pitched.

Mathews is the No. 2 prospect for the Cardinals for a reason. There's an argument that the Cardinals would be a better team right now with him up in the majors. At the very least, he would give the team an early look before likely getting a big role in 2026. Why not?

More MLB: Cardinals Address Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson Dilemma

Published
Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News