Cards' top pitching prospect Doyle is dialed in during 2nd half of 2026
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Liam Doyle has long sought challenges against the best. It’s why after a decorated high school career in New Hampshire at Pinkerton Academy, he made stops at three separate powerhouse collegiate programs (Coastal Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee) before the Cardinals selected him fifth overall in the 2025 Draft.
His first full-season foray into pro ball began inauspiciously after St. Louis not only sent him back to Double-A (after a brief '25 cameo), it did so in the notoriously hitter-friendly Texas League. But Doyle has been steadily turning the tide as the summer wears on. His latest major leap in the right direction came Wednesday night when the Cardinals' No. 2 prospect racked up nine strikeouts across five frames of one-hit, one-run ball in Springfield's 12-2 win over Arkansas at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Doyle's third time facing the Arkansas lineup this season was definitely the charm. He retired the first 14 batters he faced, including striking out seven in a row from the second through the fourth innings. Only three balls left the infield and the lone run on his ledger scored on a balk.
The nine strikeouts pop off the stat sheet, but Doyle utilized an extremely efficient eight-pitch first inning to set the tone, quickly retiring a pair of Top 100 prospects in Jonny Farmelo (SEA No. 6/MLB No. 73) and Felnin Celesten (SEA No. 4/MLB No. 50). Having thrown between 71 and 87 pitches in 17 consecutive starts, MLB’s No. 44 prospect has been working within the confines of a limited pitch total. But those quick outs -- and limiting free passes -- has enabled him to go at least five innings in six of his past seven outings after reaching that mark just twice in his first 17 starts of the year.
Doyle was named to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game squad in Philadelphia despite a first half that was rocky on the surface numbers-wise. In 14 outings for Springfield, he posted a 5.46 ERA as batters hit .264 with a .798 OPS against him. But he also ran a sky-high .361 average on balls in play, a number that, in due time, was sure to come back to earth. (For comparison, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez leads the Majors with a .340 BABIP and he’s one of just four qualified hurlers sitting above .320 this year.)
Coming back from the break, Doyle has been dialed in. He has allowed two runs or fewer in all six appearances since July 19, posting a 1.74 ERA and .144 average-against in that span. He has yielded just one homer in a month, and as the numbers foretold, those balls in play have begun to find gloves, having entered Wednesday night with a .232 BABIP in his past five outings.
A surefire way to make sure balls don’t go for hits? Blow it past batters. Doyle did plenty of that against Arkansas, dialing his fastball consistently up near triple digits while hammering it at the top of the zone. Six of his nine punchouts came on his four-seamer, a 70-grade offering that ranks near the top among all prospects in baseball.
Much like how Doyle’s early-season batted-ball profile indicated a turnaround was coming, there’s another interesting aspect worth monitoring: MLB’s No. 4 left-handed pitching prospect is running enormous reverse splits. Right-handed batters entered the night hitting .205 with a .641 OPS, while lefties were hitting .281 with an .828 OPS.
Part of that reason has been that his 84-87 mph splitter has been far and away his best secondary offering, neutralizing righties with its downward action below the zone. Finding a consistent breaking ball will be vital to bringing those numbers down against same-side hitters, and he showed the ability to do that as recently as his latest outing, which included a pair of K’s against lefties with his breaker.
At the end of the day, the Cardinals remain steadfast about developing Doyle as a big league starter, even if it means sacrificing numerical production in the Minors. The organization has held steady as the No. 4 system per MLB Pipeline, and while not directly tied to Doyle, is still a strong indication of how highly regarded the 22-year-old southpaw remains as he navigates his first full campaign in pro ball.