This easygoing Cardinals prospect wields a healthy chip on his shoulder

The St. Louis Cardinals have quietly assembled a stock of young pitching prospects throughout the minor leagues in recent years, and one of the most ascendant of those is left-hander Quinn Mathews, who appeared for an interview on 101 ESPN on Feb. 11. Mathews displayed a laid-back demeanor and the type of carefree personality that only southpaws seem to possess.

But beneath the surface lies a player with a glint of fire in his eyes who appears determined to prove his doubters wrong.

Mathews is one of the top pitchers in the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system following a 2024 season in which he was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year. During the interview, Mathews said that his motivation to succeed stemmed from his selection in the fourth round of the 2023 draft.

"I think it was just how it transpired over the course of the draft," said Mathews. "My outlook on how teams saw me, which, in my opinion, was not as high as it should have been. So I was like, 'I'm going to go out there and work as hard as I can and do everything in my power to put together a season that lets people know I probably should have been a little more sought after.'"

Mathews was humble when comparing himself with fellow Cardinals pitching prospect Tink Hence. He said Hence is on the front lines of the organization's pool of young talent. As for Mathews?

"I'm just a left-handed pitcher," he said. "That's all I've got for you there."

Mathews might have been saying more than he let on with that comment. Martin Kilcoyne, one of the radio hosts, said after the interview that Mathews had told Kilcoyne in the past that scouts frequently referred to Mathews as just that: a left-handed pitcher.

Much like sports legends Albert Pujols and Tom Brady, Mathews clearly holds some disdain toward scouts for their initial underwhelming evaluations of him, as well as toward organizations for passing on his services earlier in the draft. He is using those pessimists to fuel his motivation, but he also acknowledged that excelling at baseball was a newer phenomenon for him, as he believed that he didn't throw over 90 mph until his professional debut.

As a three-sport athlete in his youth, Mathews credited his background in soccer and basketball as well as baseball for improving his performance on the mound.

"I think playing other sports has really been the biggest benefit," he said. "For one, staying healthy, and two, just developing other muscles and other skill sets. All sports are kind of connected because you have to be an athlete, just a different type of athlete in each one."

Mathews was happy to chat about his life beyond the pitching rubber. Growing up in Southern California, Mathews was not a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but rather their "little brother," the Los Angeles Angels.

"They were good when I couldn't remember them playing baseball," said the 24-year-old, who used to own a T-shirt and wig of the Angels mascot, the Rally Monkey.

Few situations within baseball get in Mathews' head, which is important for the success of a big-league pitcher. But he pointed to one specific outlet that can rile him up at times.

"Losing in board games — Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, stuff like that — that really gets me going," he said.

Whether Mathews is studying cryptocurrency trends, contemplating his next Scrabble word, or facing professional hitters, he is confident in his abilities. While he may appear calm and relaxed, it's clear that a competitive inferno blazes inside the young lefty.