The 2025 MLB Draft didn’t unfold the way the St. Louis Cardinals—or most people—anticipated. In a surprising move, the Washington Nationals passed on Ethan Holliday and Kade Anderson to take high school shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick, despite many mock drafts linking Willits to the Cardinals in the days before the draft.
However, John Mozeliak remained composed. Confident in the depth of the draft class, he secured a strong alternative by selecting Tennessee left-hander with the fifth overall pick. While Willits, with his advanced bat and scrappy play at shortstop, seemed like a prototypical Cardinals selection, top star might actually address the team’s needs more directly—especially in a starting rotation that has struggled in recent years but now shows signs of becoming a future strength.
Top prospect adds to a growing group of promising young arms in the Cardinals’ system, and the projected 2026 rotation should give fans plenty to be excited about.
Any conversation about Liam Doyle has to begin with his overpowering fastball, which can touch triple digits. He attacks the strike zone aggressively, and his splitter, slider, and cutter all have the potential to develop into at least above-average offerings. It’s no surprise he dominated the SEC in 2025, posting a 3.20 ERA with an impressive 164 strikeouts over 95.2 innings.
There is some concern about his future role, primarily due to his fastball-heavy approach at Tennessee and a high-effort delivery that sometimes undermines his command. His secondary pitches, in particular, can catch too much of the plate when he’s not locating well. Still, left-handers with his velocity, strike-throwing ability, and durability are rare, and the Cardinals landed a special arm in this year’s draft.
Projected Cardinals rotation in 2026 after drafting Liam Doyle
Here’s a look at how the Cardinals’ pitching staff could shape up by the middle of next season:
Projected Rotation/Depth Chart:
- Sonny Gray
- Quinn Mathews
- Matthew Liberatore
- Michael McGreevy
- Tink Hence
- Liam Doyle
- Andre Pallante
That’s a seven-deep group, with only one player not originally drafted by the organization. The Cardinals appear to have real depth at the position, and they may finally feel comfortable moving on from veterans like Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde, knowing they have capable internal replacements ready to step in.
Gray seems unlikely to be traded anytime soon, especially after his reluctance to waive his no-trade clause last offseason. Liberatore has taken a big leap forward this year, while McGreevy has shown flashes of promise when given opportunities—though those chances have been limited. Mathews, widely regarded as the club’s top pitching prospect and one of the best in the minors, is just waiting for a shot. Hence, meanwhile, may be just one healthy stretch away from forcing the team’s hand. And with Doyle now in the fold, the competition for rotation spots is heating up.
And this doesn’t even factor in the possibility that Chaim Bloom uses some of the team’s freed-up payroll this offseason to pursue a frontline starter like Zac Gallen or Ranger Suárez. Depending solely on young arms carries some risk, but every pitcher listed above has shown enough to suggest they could be at least reliable rotation pieces as early as next season. If one of them develops into more than that—or if the Cardinals invest in another top-tier starter—the potential for this staff going forward is immense.