Quinn Mathews has already played at three different minor league levels this year. Could he ascend through all five levels this season?
Quinn Mathews gained recognition in college for throwing 156 pitches for Stanford against Texas just over a year ago. Despite criticism from baseball fans about the high pitch count, Mathews delivered an outstanding performance, striking out 16 batters in a complete game and leading his team to an 8-3 victory over the Longhorns.
A month later, the St. Louis Cardinals selected the tall left-hander with their 4th-round pick, #122 overall. Given his four years of experience at Stanford, it was expected that Mathews would progress quickly through the minor leagues. He began this year at low-A Palm Beach for the Cardinals and was promptly moved up to high-A Peoria after just six starts.
Mathews is now being promoted again, this time to Springfield. This marks the third level he’ll pitch at within one season, and he might advance even further before the season ends.
As @TheDanGuerrero reported earlier, Quinn Mathews has been promoted to Springfield.
Last pitcher I could find who was promoted through four levels in one season (not rehabs) was Maikel Cleto in 2011. Would bet on Mathews joining him.
Maybe five?
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) June 24, 2024
Having already jumped three levels in just 13 games, Mathews might reach every level of minor league baseball in a single season. If he continues to perform well and a major league opportunity arises, Mathews could be the first prospect to jump four levels in the Cardinals’ system since Maikel Cleto in 2011. According to my research, if Mathews reaches the majors, he would be the first player in Cardinals history to play at every level in one season.
Mathews has been dominant at each level this year, with a 2.18 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts in just 74.1 innings across two leagues. He has minimized home runs, hits, walks, and hard contact while achieving a whiff rate exceeding 36.5%.
Before the season, Mathews wasn’t on many national prospect lists; he was only ranked 20th in the Cardinals’ system. However, he recently made his way onto Baseball America’s top-100 list.
With top-tier pitchers like Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, Cooper Hjerpe, and Tekoah Roby leading the team’s prospect list, the Cardinals can feel more confident about their pitching future. It has been a while since the organization had multiple pitchers featured in rankings like Baseball America’s. Homegrown pitchers are key to setting the team up for success both now and in the future.