Once he arrived in Springfield, Missouri, at the end of June, Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews had already been so “overwhelmed†with the movement brought on by his second minor league promotion this season that he did not fully take in the moment he learned of his next milestone.
The lefty, days after receiving a promotion from Class High-A, joined his new club, met his new manager, and found out he was headed to this year’s All-Star Futures Game. But with a focus on not wanting to be late for the team stretch on his first day with Class AA Springfield, it took the 23-year-old left-hander some time, and a conversation with teammate Tink Hence, for the news to fully sink in.
“I didn’t really think it was a goal or even an expectation for myself coming into the year,†Mathews said of the Futures Game selection during a recent phone interview. “From what it sounded like, it basically acknowledged the big-name prospects who were performing in their own regards, and I really wasn’t going to be in that conversation, especially being, as everyone had told me, old for a first-year player. It really wasn’t on my radar. But fortunately, things worked out.â€
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Mathews was one of two Cardinals prospects selected to this year’s Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday. Alongside Mathews, Hence, the Cardinals’ top pitching prospect, earned Futures Game honors.
In his first year of professional baseball after getting drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB draft, Mathews has a 6-2 record, a 2.22 ERA, and has struck out 120 batters over 85 innings across three levels of minor league baseball. The Stanford University product opened the year with Class Low-A Palm Beach and, with improved fastball velocity and steady command, received promotions to Class High-A Peoria and Class AA Springfield before July.
“What I think makes (Mathews) such a fun story is that once we did draft him, he got with (farm director) Gary LaRocque and (senior minor league pitching coordinator) Tim Leveque and our performance group, and in the absence of innings pitched, he asked, well, what’s the next step? And he followed it to a tee,†Cardinals scouting director Randy Flores said in a recent phone interview.
After not throwing a pitch as a pro in 2023, Mathews spent his offseason in his hometown of Aliso Viejo, California, and made the most of it. He added 25 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame by following a weightlifting and nutrition plan and stuck to a throwing program intended to help him increase his fastball velocity.
Mathews has flashed as high as 97.3 mph and earned Cardinals minor league pitcher of the month honors twice (in April and June) through his first 15 starts as a pro. He entered Tuesday ranked second across the minors in total strikeouts and fourth in strikeout rate (36.5%), per FanGraphs.
“Accolades are cool, but I mean, at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to get to the big-league level and help the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals win as many games as possible,†Mathews said. “… Obviously it’s awesome, but at the end of the day, I still need to get better. I still need to keep improving each and every time I take the mound.â€
Nearly a year after he became the 122nd overall pick as he “checked a lot†of the boxes the Cardinals look for in draft prospects, Mathews has gone from a Stanford standout who made headlines with a 156-pitch complete game against the University of Texas in the 2023 NCAA Super Regionals to blossoming as one of the Cardinals’ top pitching prospects.
Mathews said he looks to keep the same approach until “baseball tells you it needs to change.†Having leaped two minor league levels, Mathews believes that staying “grounded†amid the rapid rise can be a key in getting “exposed†as he looks to get settled in and progress from a new level of baseball.
With the constant change, the 23-year-old credits those around him in his personal life as the ones who have helped him remain consistent mentally as he uses his draft day experience as a motivating factor.
“I would say most guys believe they should go higher than they probably evidently do, and I felt like I was one of those guys,†Mathews said. “For me, it was just an extra little bit of motivation for like, ‘Hey, let’s go out and do what we do best, which is pitch.’ … Going in the fourth round is still phenomenal but obviously not the tippy top and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if I think I’m as good as I am, then I just need to go out there and professional baseball and do it, and everything will take care of itself.â€
Wet weather sets up Cards-Royals twin bill
The Cardinals and Royals are set to play a split doubleheader on Wednesday at Busch Stadium after inclement weather washed out Tuesday’s series opener. First pitch for Game 1 of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ºüÀêÊÓƵ time. Game 2 is expected to start at its originally scheduled 6:45 p.m. start time.
The Cardinals have listed Andre Pallante as their Game 1 starter. Sonny Gray is the team’s listed starter for the nightcap. Gray was previously slated to start Wednesday’s originally scheduled game. The Royals have Alec Marsh as their probable Game 1 starter and former Cardinal Michael Wacha as their Game 2 starter.
Tickets for Tuesday’s postponed game will be valid for Game 1 on Wednesday. Paid ticket holders will also receive an electronic voucher redeemable for a future Monday through Thursday 2024 Cardinals regular season home game.