Feb 12, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews throws during Spring Training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Cardinals Manager Takes Strong Stance on Quinn Mathews

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 7:59 PM ET

St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is one of the top prospects in St. Louis. With the Cardinals entering a rebuild, he's expected to be one of the most important players within the entire organization.

Mathews should be able to make his way to the big leagues at some point this season. It's very unlikely he's brought up early in the year because he missed a large chunk of last year with a slew of injuries.

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Still, Mathews is expected to be a key piece of the Cardinals roster, but he's going to need to stay healthy. Some would consider last season a bit of a lost year for the young lefty, but Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol would disagree.

Oli Marmol learned a lot from Quinn Matthews' injury-riddled year

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

“You don't want that for the player, but at the same time, you learn a lot about the player, and sometimes it allows you to collapse time and get to the end game quicker when you do have an experience like he had last year,” Marmol said. “You learn a lot from it. You want to make sure it's not wasted, or you take the approach of, 'Hey, let's just forget about last year and move on.' I think that's the wrong approach. I think you have to actually lean into it a little bit and make sure that you have answers for it, not only physically but mentally, in order to create a framework that allows him to bounce back quicker.”

There's a lot that a player can learn about themselves when they're injured. They can learn how to battle adversity and how to work through injuries at the highest level to bounce back in their best form.

Managers, coaches, and staff members can learn the same things. If a player can't mentally get through adversity, it's hard to imagine they'll last at the big-league level. Pitchers are bound to face injuries throughout their career. It's one of the most dangerous positions in baseball.

Mathews has seemingly responded well. Marmol still has high hopes for him following the roller coaster season last year. That's good news for the Cardinals.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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