ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Baseball America announced Tuesday the outlet's 2024 Minor League Pitcher Of The Year and it's a name Cardinals fans have grown to know the past seven months.
Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews, who rose quickly through the Cardinals minor league ranks this season all the way up to Triple-A Memphis, was named Baseball America's Minor League Pitcher Of The Year in 2024.
Mathews, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the 4th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Stanford, started the 2024 season in Low-A Palm Beach, but would only start six games before already earning a promotion to High-A Peoria.
Similar to his stint in Palm Beach, Mathews would only start seven games with the Peoria Chiefs before earning a promotion to the Cardinals' Double-A affiliate in Springfield. Mathews would spend been a bit of a longer time with the Cardinals in Springfield, starting nine games before earning a promotion in late-August to Cardinals Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.
Overall, Mathews started 26 games across four levels of the Cardinals minor league system, posting an ERA of 2.76 in 143.1 innings, and striking out 202 batters in a combined 143.1 innings.
According to Baseball America, Mathews, a left-handed pitcher, and Arizona Diamondbacks right handed starter Brandon Pfaadt in 2022 are the only two pitchers to have posted 200 strikeout seasons in the minors in the past 13 years.
Mathews also become the first Cardinals minor leaguer to reach the 200 strikeout threshold since Rick Ankiel in 1998 and the 10th overall.
Alongside being named Baseball America's Minor League Pitcher Of The Year, Mathews, was named also onto the Texas League All-Star Team. Catcher Jimmy Crooks, right-handed starter Tink Hence and right-handed relief pitcher Matt Svanson were also named to the Texas League All-Star Team alongside Mathews.
Mathews' quick rise through the minors has certainly excited Cardinals fans and put some mild expectations that Mathews could be a part of the Cardinals rotation in 2025.
While it's probably unlikely that the Cardinals would rush Mathews up to the majors on Opening Day 2025, a debut for Mathews in the majors at some point later on in the season isn't out of the question. But for now, his future and potential with the organization certainly brings excitement to Cardinals fans.
