With the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Liam Doyle. Here are a few things to know about the newest member of the Cardinals organization:
New England Fireballer Finds a New Home
Any team hunting for strikeouts and upside certainly found it in Liam Doyle. The 21-year-old left-handed pitcher was a portal transfer repeat, pitching one season each at Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss before wrapping up a breakout run at the University of Tennessee, bringing with him one of the biggest fastballs in this year’s college class. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Doyle hails from Derry, New Hampshire, the kind of cold-weather arm who bloomed late but looks like he’s just getting started.
A Fastball That Misses Bats — and Gets Scouts Talking
Doyle’s calling card is simple: he throws a fastball that even big-league hitters could find difficult to hit. In fact, Doyle earned a 75-grade on the pitch, making it not only the highest-rated heater in this year’s Draft class, but the highest rated college fastball since Paul Skenes was pitching for LSU. Doyle sits comfortably at 94–96 mph and has touched 99 when he’s amped up, but it’s not just the velocity, it’s the ride. His fastball has elite vertical life that makes it jump through the zone and stay above barrels. This spring at Tennessee, Doyle went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA, racking up 164 strikeouts in 95.2 innings. He led all Division I pitchers in strikeout rate at 15.4 per nine innings, and Doyle was the starting pitcher in a pair of combined no-hitters for the Volunteers this season, Nos. 9 and 10 in the program’s history. Doyle proved he could carry a heavy SEC workload while still blowing hitters away late in games.
A Fire to Match the Heat
Power alone isn’t enough for someone to earn SEC Pitcher of the Year honors. Doyle also boasts a slider, cutter and splitter that all grade as plus pitches, but perhaps the biggest weapon is his competitiveness, which Doyle said is a product of growing up in New England: “I’ve always had that kind of underdog mentality, just being a kid from the North. Not a lot of baseball players come from where I’m from, so I always had that mentality going for me, and that’s where that competitive spirit comes from. That’s where that drive and passion for the game is.” Some scouts are concerned about the long-term future of a starter with an unorthodox delivery who consistently pitches with “maximum intent,” but the foundation is there: he’s already got four plus pitches and a plan to attack.
Late Bloomer, Fast Mover
It wasn’t that long ago Doyle was under the radar. Coming out of Pinkerton Academy in New Hampshire, he didn’t draw massive draft buzz — instead, he developed steadily at Coastal Carolina, and then at Mississippi, before transferring to Tennessee for the 2025 season. That bet paid off: his velocity ticked up, his command tightened, and he showed he could handle the nation’s best lineups week after week. That growth curve is why some scouts see him moving quickly through the minors. He’s already shown he can adjust — don’t be surprised if he’s knocking on the MLB door sooner rather than later.
Roots, Routine, and Real Grit
Off the mound, Doyle’s story is the kind of blue-collar path that fans love. He grew up pitching in the chilly New England springs, chasing every inning he could get. He’s known as a routine-first, no-nonsense worker — the type who does his throwing program religiously and never complains about the extra reps. He was a Golden Spikes Award finalist this year, underscoring just how far he’s come from the days of grinding in high school bullpens. For a team adding him to its farm system, you’re getting a kid who knows how to handle adversity and keeps finding another gear.
Bottom Line
With Liam Doyle, your team just added one of the purest strikeout arms in the 2025 draft. He’s got big-league fastball traits, effective secondary pitches, and a competitive edge that should play well at the next level. If he can keep the command sharp, there’s mid-rotation upside here — maybe more if everything clicks. For now, pencil him in as the power lefty who’s going to make hitters earn every bit of contact. Fans should keep an eye on him — because when Doyle is on, he’s must-watch from the first pitch to the last strikeout.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post What to Know About St. Louis Cardinals Draft Pick Liam Doyle appeared first on Heavy Sports.