1 prospect who will make the Cardinals Opening Day roster and 2 who won't

Quinn Mathews needs more seasoning in the minors before making his MLB debut.

Quinn Mathews is another one of the Cardinals' rising prospects. After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Mathews surprised everyone by having a fantastic 2024 season. He advanced through every level of the Cardinals' minor-league system and reached Triple-A Memphis in September.

An ascendance that quick could lead some to believe that Quinn will break spring camp with the major-league squad. However, that won't be the case this year.

Mathews, 24, is a very talented pitcher who will someday be a middle-of-the-rotation arm more than likely. Right now, he's a bit behind on the depth chart. Barring any trades, the Cardinals have Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Andre Pallante, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Michael McGreevy ahead of him in the rotation. Other pitchers such as Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson, Sem Robberse, and Gordon Graceffo will probably get a shot before Mathews.

A strong spring showing could catapult him up the depth chart, but the Cardinals will probably want to be patient with their rising star. His changeup is his best pitch by far, but he's worked to add velocity and bite to both his fastball and slider, two pitches that could become quite dangerous for him down the road.

During Winter Warm-Up, Mathews stated that he does not necessarily have any "goals" for 2025 but that he does want to contribute to the team in any way possible. Whether that be making spot starts, helping in relief, or filling in for an injured starter for an extended period of time, Mathews wants to do all he can to help the team in 2025.

Mathews' work this offseason has been focused on building up for the long season. He said that "the duration of the season kind of got to me in September I would say, physically as well as mentally. This offseason, I was kind of preparing for September...How do I get seven or eight more weeks out of my body?"

Mathews had a 2.76 ERA in 143.1 innings across 26 starts last year. He struck out an MiLB-leading 202 batters last year. He was exceptional in Low-A through Double-A, but his limited time in Triple-A was a bit of a struggle for the young southpaw. He had a 6.48 ERA in just 16.2 innings, so a return to Memphis could behoove both Mathews and the organization.

Quinn, along with Tink Hence, makes a formidable one-two pitching prospect duo. These two will be the staff leaders of the future, and rushing either along right now doesn't bode well for them. Quinn Mathews will make his debut in 2025, but he should get more experience and time in Triple-A before taking on some of the best players in the world.

I would love to see Quinn break camp as one of the club's five starting pitchers, but that doesn't seem likely given his lack of minor-league experience. Don't be surprised if he's one of the first prospects called up to fill in due to an injury.