Cardinals Promote First Round Draft Pick To Double-A After First Pro Start

The Cardinals are moving their top pitching prospect along.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals made several very interesting draft picks this summer. Under the guidance of future president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals took a more advanced approach and drafted pitchers who profiled as swing-and-miss and high velocity arms. Their most intriguing draft pick was the first one they made.

The Cardinals selected hard-throwing left-hander Liam Doyle from the University of Tennessee, and he recently made his professional debut with High-A Palm Beach. The Cardinals are high on the young left-hander, who brings a different profile to the Cardinals pitching depth.

According to Jeff Jones, the Cardinals have made a very important decision regarding Doyle after making just one professional start.

Cardinals Promote First Rounder To Double-A

Tennessee's Liam Doyle (12) pitches during a college baseball game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 9, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Cardinals announced this morning that Liam Doyle is joining Springfield for their playoff run," Jones posted on X.

The Cardinals were very quick to promote Doyle to Double-A, and it might be a surprising move to some, given that he made only one professional start before his promotion. But the Cardinals are very clearly high on Doyle and believe he is ready to take the next step in his professional career.

The 21-year-old left-hander has appeared in the Future Collegiates Baseball League and Cape Cod League in addition to the minor leagues and NCAA. He pitched at Costal Carolina and Mississippi before ultimately transferring to Tennessee for his final year at the NCAA level.

With Tennessee this year, he went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances. He also appeared in the College World Series.

In his start at Palm Beach, Doyle listing 1 2/3 innings and allowed a run, but showed off some of his velocity. The Cardinals seem to believe that Doyle is ready to take the next step in his professional career, and having him quickly rise to Double-A is promising.

Perhaps before long, he could rise even further in the system and potentially even make his Major League debut at some point in 2026. The Cardinals shouldn't rush him, but he has an electric arm and is their most exciting pitching prospect in quite some time.

It will be interesting to see how Doyle performs at Double-A this year as he helps Springfield push for a playoff spot down the stretch. He'll have a chance to pitch in some very meaningful games.

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