Cardinals' Quinn Mathews Is Pitching His Way Into the Big League Conversation

St. Louis has a grueling schedule to begin the second half of the season

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews turned in another solid performance in his first start after the All-Star break.

Mathews, the Cardinals' No. 6 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, tossed six strong innings for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on Saturday. The 25-year-old gave up one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four in the Redbirds' 5-4 loss to the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate.

Following his first outing of the second half of the season, Mathews now has a 1.42 ERA through three starts in July. The southpaw has only allowed three earned runs over 19 innings this month, building on a strong stretch in June when he posted a 2.05 ERA in five Triple-A starts. With recent numbers like that, the 2023 fourth-round draft pick is seemingly setting himself up to be an option to join the Cardinals' pitching staff.

Could Quinn Mathews make his MLB debut soon?

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) and catcher Pedro Pages (43) arrive at the dugout before a game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall, Mathews has posted a 3.39 ERA in 18 Triple-A starts this season, striking out 101 hitters in 85 innings. He most notably hasn't surrendered more than three earned runs in a single outing since the end of May. The 6-foot-5 lefty has also tossed at least six innings in all three of his starts so far this month and five of his last eight games.

The Cardinals notably begin the second half of the 2026 season by playing 20 consecutive games. Unless there's a postponement, St. Louis' next off day won't be until Aug. 6. With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cardinals brought up an extra starter at some point during that grueling stretch of the schedule to give the rest of the pitching staff a bit of a breather. And if they decide to do that, Mathews would seemingly be one of the leading candidates to join the big league rotation.

St. Louis heads into Sunday's action in a battle for the last National League Wild Card spot with a 51-46 record. That means Mathews could make his MLB debut during a late-season playoff push. But, for now, the southpaw will have to wait patiently for that opportunity to present itself.