Former Cardinals top draft pick named Double-A Pitcher of the Week for Springfield

The Cardinals used their second-round pick in 2022 on left-handed pitcher Brycen Mautz out of the University of San Diego. After putting up a solid last season on the mound in college, Mautz was looking like a lock that would hit the ground running in his professional debut season.

The California native did just that after debuting in 2023 for Low-A Palm Beach and making 23 starts that season. He carried a 3.98 ERA over 104 innings and struck out 115 batters. That performance earned him a promotion to High-A to open up the 2024 season, where he made 24 starts for Peoria. Over the 24 starts, he carried a 5.18 ERA over 121 innings while striking out 128 batters.

One of the contributing factors to why his numbers took a step back was the home run problem in 2024. Mautz gave up 20 home runs over the year, which was good for one of the highest HR/9 in the organization among qualified starters. While the strikeout and walk numbers remained overall solid, most of the damage allowed in each start was due to the long ball. After the season, he would go on to pitch in the Arizona Fall League and give up nine runs over 10 outings.

In much need of a rebound, Mautz has gotten off to the best start of his young career in 2025 in Double-A for Springfield. Through two starts, the 23-year-old has racked up 12 strikeouts and 16 swings and misses over eight innings pitched, including his most recent outing, punching out eight batters en route to winning Double-A Pitcher of the Week for Springfield. He just so happened to strike out the first five batters who stepped up in the batter's box.

If Mautz is on the road back to the way he looked when the Cardinals drafted him in the second round, it would bring massive depth to the left-handed pitching group in the high minors. This group took a massive blow once Cooper Hjerpe, the highest-rated left-hander in the system and was picked one round ahead of Mautz in the same draft, underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the 2025 season.

Mautz, now ranked inside the top 30 prospects in the Cardinals' system according to Baseball America, will look to build upon his hot start this week at home against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.