Cardinals coach compares top prospect to one of the greatest pitchers of all time

Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger and now minor league Special Advisor Ryan Ludwick got an up close and personal look at some of the team's best prospects during the Spring Breakout game against the Marlins. Ludwick was named the manager for the game and had plenty of good things to say about the team's starter, Quinn Mathews.

Mathews, the Cardinals' #2 prospect, had a decent showing in his three scoreless innings against the Marlins prospects, striking out three batters, but struggled with some command, as he walked three others. Last year's Minor League strikeout leader and Pitcher of the Year was reassigned to minor league camp after a solid performance in his only start in big league camp but was tabbed to open the game in MLB's Spring Breakout, which showcases some of the most exciting names in the minors.

Ryan Ludwick compares Quinn Mathews to Clayton Kershaw.

Even though he will spend at least the early part of the year with Triple-A Memphis, Mathews has been impressive since the Cardinals drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Coming out of Stanford, the lefty has already shown front-of-the-rotation potential with three MLB-ready pitches and a decent curveball. Prior to the first pitch of the game, Ludwick took the opportunity to, with some caveats, compare his starting pitcher to one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of this generation.

"“This is a huge [comparison], and I don’t like giving guys comps because it’s hard to live up to them at times,” Ludwick said. “But when I think back to that live [BP] that he threw, the guy who I saw young and in his first big league start was Clayton Kershaw. You know, big, tall lefty with good stuff.""

Ryan Ludwick

The Spring Breakout manager added, "Obviously, he’s got a long road to go to become Clayton Kershaw, but the electricity he showed in that live [BP], and the way he rose through the system last year and competed at each level, you can see a bright future for him.” Ludwick knows a thing or two about the Dodgers legend, having faced Kershaw 20 times over his big league career. Like many other hitters who had to hit against the lefty, Ludwick did not have much success in those plate appearances, hitting .118 with one homer and eight strikeouts.

When Mathews was informed of Ludwick's comments, he was honored yet humble of the comparison. He admits that his competitiveness is comparable to the future Hall of Famer but knows he has a bit to go before he reaches Kershaw's status. The compliments did not stop with Ludwick, as catcher Jimmy Crooks noted Mathews' perfectionist personality and how, despite the lefty not having his best stuff, he was still able to battle through three scoreless innings.

"“Obviously, that’s probably one of the biggest compliments you can get when you are getting compared to arguably the best arm in our conscious generation. That’s a huge honor to get an acknowledgement like that. Maybe with the competitiveness, but I’m not as good physically. But maybe I’m as competitive as Kershaw.”"

Quinn Mathews

Time will tell when fans will have the opportunity to see Quinn Mathews pitch at the big league level, but he has continued to impress at every level he has pitched at in his short professional career. For now, though, Mathews will head to Memphis waiting for the call to the Majors and the chance to prove Ludwick and others correct in his comparison to an all-time great.