Flame-throwing Cardinals Lefty Has Makings of St. Louis Star

While the St. Louis Cardinals have struggled in the standings over the last few seasons, one positive takeaway has been the high draft picks that have come for the organization as a result.

If you have been following along with the Cardinals, you've likely heard all about No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt. The 23-year-old was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft and has a very real chance at being in the starting lineup on Opening Day. As of writing, the odds are certainly in his favor.

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Wetherholt currently is the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB.com. One thing that should excite the fanbase when thinking about the future is the fact that Wetherholt isn't even the team's highest-draft prospect over the last few years. That would be flamethrowing lefty Liam Doyle, who was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. If you haven't heard much about Doyle to this point, MLB.com's official scouting report will get you fired up.

The Cardinals flamethrower already has high expectations

Tennessee's Liam Doyle (12) throws the ball during a NCAA Baseball Tournament Knoxville Regional game between Tennessee and Miami Ohio on May 30, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Doyle's success centers primarily around his fastball, which sat at 91-94 mph during his sophomore season and now operates in the mid-90s and peaks at 100," the scouting report reads. "It has been the most untouchable heater in college baseball [in 2025], coming out of a high release point and exploding at the top of the zone -- he topped D-I by finishing 105 strikeouts with the pitch. His 82-85 mph slider has become a solid offering but he leaves it in the middle of the plate too often, which is also an issue with his upper-80s cutter.

"While he throws his fastball nearly two-thirds of the time, Doyle has four effective pitches after switching to using an upper-80s splitter as his changeup. Despite his dominance this spring, there are concerns about his ability to succeed as a starter at the next level because he has an unorthodox delivery and constantly throws with maximum intent. He does provide consistent strikes and held his stuff deep into games throughout his junior season."

Doyle was drafted last season and made two professional appearances afterward, including one all the way up in Double-A. Doyle allowed one earned run in 3 2/3 innings of work. When Wetherholt made his professional debut in 2024, he played in 29 games, all at the Class-A level. So, the Cardinals already moved Doyle along in the farm system a bit quicker.

Doyle's not going to be on the Opening Day roster, but his time is coming and the fanbase should be excited already.