Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group
The St. Louis Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews has started off the season with a bang. The former Stanford star has been nearly unhittable so far.
The 6’4″ Mathews posted a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA, giving up only one run over 18 innings pitched. Additionally, he posted a miniscule 0.89 WHIP with 38 strikeouts, and only allowed seven hits across his first four professional starts. The lefty had two outings with eleven or more strikeouts with no walks allowed, including a 13-strikeout game at Fort Myers on April 26.
The Cardinals selected Mathews in the fourth round and signed him for $600,000. The lefty’s fastball stays in the low to mid 90’s and that’s fine if he can control it well. His changeup is the pitch that will likely get him the most strikeouts. It’s in the low 80’s with movement and can make his 92 mph fastball feel like upper 90’s. His changeup generated a 50 percent whiff and 44 percent chase rate in his final season at Stanford. He also uses a low 80’s slider and has an even slower curveball that he uses for an even bigger change of speeds.
Cardinals Prospect Mathews Gained Valuable Experience at Stanford
In Mathews’ junior season at Stanford, the lefty posted a 3.08 ERA in 99 1/3 innings. After the 2022 season, the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the 19th round, but he chose to head back to school. He became Stanford’s top pitcher and ranked second in the country with 158 strikeouts. He trailed only Pittsburgh’s top prospect Paul Skenes, who had 209 strikeouts on the season.
Mathews made plenty of headlines in 2023 when he threw 156 pitches for Stanford in a Super Regionals matchup against Texas. His usage at Stanford spawned many debates. However, there’s no way he will ever have 150-pitch outings in the pros. Furthermore, the experience is important, and it should help him move quickly through the minor league system.
Cardinals Organization Minor league Pitcher of the Month
The Cardinals prospect Mathews’ strong performance in April earned the left-handed hurler the minor league pitcher of the month for April. The 23 year-old will likely move up the ranks quickly if he continues to pitch like he has so far. He gained plenty of big game experience at Stanford, pitching in the College World Series twice. Furthermore, he has shown the ability to go deep in games. The future is bright for the young lefty, and he has a good chance to make the big leagues by 2025.
