Cardinals first-round pick grades out well after debut season

The St. Louis Cardinals began their focus on the future with the 2025 MLB Draft, when they held the fifth overall selection. The philosophy was clear for the Cardinals: high-velocity arms, as Chaim Bloom and co. drafted four pitchers in the first five official rounds, with all of them coming from four-year universities.

The organization had to be ecstatic when lefty Liam Doyle, whom some experts had ranked as the top prospect in the entire draft, fell to them at five. After his selection, Doyle waited a bit before making his pro debut but eventually made his way to Palm Beach before finishing the year with a quick cameo with Springfield in Double-A. The fiery southpaw used his electric fastball and developing slider to strike out almost 15 hitters per nine, albeit in just 3.2 innings. His debut, along with his tools, has him as a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball and the second-best in the Cardinals organization according to Baseball America.

Liam Doyle could progress quickly through Cardinals system

Baseball America just posted their report cards for every team's draft after their picks made their professional debuts across all levels of the minors. St. Louis received relatively positive reviews across the board for their selections, and of those who played this season, Doyle stood out and is looking like a great choice. Even though he pitched in just two games, BA feels that the lefty from Tennessee could continue to move up the organization ladder.

When he was selected, Doyle was viewed as having one of the, if not the, top fastballs in the class, and FanGraphs rated it 70 on the 80-grade scale. Baseball America agrees, noting how he can touch 100mph with the offering and creates above-average swinging strike numbers. The outlet awarded Doyle the superlative of having the best fastball in the organization while also naming his two-outing debut as the most impressive of the others chosen after him. While pitching in Low-A in his first pro game, Doyle gave up a homer and two walks in 1.2 innings. He was then moved up to Springfield, where he rebounded with two shutout innings while tallying three strikeouts.

Finally, and most interesting, BA also rated Doyle as the "closest to the majors" after ending in Double-A. The praise for his fastball continued, with the write-up stating that the pitch could work in the majors right now and, if he develops his secondary pitches, seeing Doyle pitching in the majors in 2026 may not be too far-fetched. With the Cardinals' starting rotation having at least two openings, there is a possibility the organization pulls from Memphis to fill one of those spots, allowing Doyle to progress upwards to Triple-A, as long as he appears ready according to the new player development staff.