Liam Doyle is starting to turn the corner.
The Cardinals' 2025 first-round pick delivered his strongest start as a pro on Saturday in Double-A Springfield’s 7-5 win over Corpus Christi at Route 66 Stadium, traversing five innings while racking up eight strikeouts -- both career highs. The outing was Doyle's second of the season in which he pitched into the fifth and his third with two or less runs allowed.
Coveted as an elite arm at Tennessee thanks to his 70-grade heater, Doyle has seen success in recent starts by reaching deeper into his arsenal. Of his eight punchouts, MLB’s No. 26 prospect finished off just one with his four-seamer, instead opting for his slider, splitter and cutter.
As MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo noted in this week’s Pipeline Inbox, Doyle entered Saturday’s contest throwing his four-seamer 54 percent of the time, nine points lower than his usage in college. The drop is a result of the Cardinals pushing him to employ more secondary offerings in hopes of building a more well-rounded mix.
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Doyle gave up a single to the first batter he faced before fanning his next two opponents and inducing a lineout to right field to close the frame. After that, the 21-year-old southpaw hit cruise control. He struck out the side in the second, eventually totaling 11 consecutive batters retired.
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All told, the Cardinals’ top prospect allowed two runs on five hits and zero walks. He threw a career-high 81 pitches, landing 52 for strikes and tallying 14 whiffs. Doyle’s 64.2 percent strike rate gives him a sixth consecutive start north of 61 percent to begin his pro career.
After posting a 9.26 ERA over his first four starts, Doyle has accumulated a much lower 2.89 mark through two appearances in May. Couple the reduced run totals with his 11.1 K/9, which ranks among the top 15 in the Texas League, and more success could be on the horizon for the Massachusetts native.