Why Cardinals Fans Should Be Fired Up About Liam Doyle Now

One thing that hasn't been shocking throughout Spring Training has been the hype around St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt.

Wetherholt is in big league camp with the Cardinals and it would be a pretty big shock if he doesn't break camp with the club and make his big league debut on Opening Day on March 26 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Wetherholt is slashing .263/.500/.579 with a 1.079 OPS through 10 games to go along with two homers, six RBIs and eight walks. This kid is the real deal.

When you have the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, it's no surprise that he's gotten most of the hype in camp. But there is another guy the fanbase should be watching closely and should be equally excited about: No. 2 prospect Liam Doyle. He was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft by St. Louis and made two professional appearances in 2025, one with Class-A Palm Beach and one with Double-A Springfield. He's just 21 years old and already has pitched just two levels below the big leagues. He isn't in consideration for Opening Day in the big leagues, but if he can maintain the momentum he started in 2025, he should be someone who gets time in Double-A and Triple-A in 2026 with a potential shot at a late-season promotion.

The Cardinals' rotation has a bright future

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 hasn't been talked about a ton this spring, but he's someone with legit ace upside. One intriguing nugget that should excite fans is the fact that Baseball America has Doyle ranked as the No. 2 overall player on their top 100 FYPD rankings for 2026.

"No. 2. Liam Doyle, LHP, Cardinals," the Baseball America's Geoff Pontes wrote. "There’s been a lot of talk about Doyle and his potential relief risk. What hasn’t been discussed enough is his upside. Doyle dominated the SEC with one of the best fastballs college baseball has seen from a starter in some time. He’s an elite competitor who could move quickly to the majors."

This is in reference to the fantasy baseball first-year player draft. He came in just below Houston Astros hurler Tatsuya Imai and ahead of guys like Kade Anderson, Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami.

What makes Doyle standout is his blistering fastball and ability to strike guys out. In 2025, he pitched 95 2/3 innings for Tennessee and struck out 164 batters while walking just 32. That's just wild. He had six strikeouts in his 3 2/3 innings of professional action.

What this shows is how Doyle's future is viewed around baseball right now. Guys like Murakami and Okamoto are going to be able to make an impact at the big league level right away to kick off the 2026 season. But the long-term outlook for Doyle is sky-high. Wetherholt already looks like a potential star in the infield. If Doyle can turn into a homegrown ace at the top of the rotation, that's going to expedite this reset period.