...
By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The St. Louis Cardinals may have landed the most pro-ready pitcher in the 2025 MLB Draft.
In the first round, they drafted lefty Liam Doyle from Tennessee. The Vols southpaw was one of the best pitchers in college baseball last season. He recorded a 3.20 ERA over 19 appearances, 17 of which were starts. However, he was a strikeout machine in the SEC as he tallied 164 strikeouts and averaged over 15 strikeouts per nine innings.
His success in the SEC, arguably the most talented conference in baseball, has led some to believe the Cardinals could be aggressive with Doyle and get him to the big leagues very soon.
Read More on MLB
...
"Many evaluators believe Doyle could start as high as Double A and reach the majors as early as midway through next season, following a track similar to Paul Skenes and Chase Burns," Katie Woo wrote for The Athletic.
"If his command and control hold up against better competition, he could be a No. 2 starter, and I wouldn't hesitate to start him at least in Double A," Keith Law wrote in a separate article for The Athletic.
Starting Doyle in Double-A Springfield would make great sense for him. In fact, he threw fewer than 100 innings for the Volunteers this season. If he could ramp up quickly enough, St. Louis may be able to get some action out of him this season and expedite his progress even further.
However, starting at Double-A next season could still lead to Doyle making the majors next year. If he faces little to no adversity in the Texas League, he could quickly reach Triple-A and then become a staple of the Cardinals rotation a short time later.
More MLB: Trade for Orioles Starter Would Fill Yankees' 'Imperative' Deadline Need
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines