Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Cardinals No. 2 Prospect Pushing Hard For MLB Promotion

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 11:00 AM ET

With the St. Louis Cardinals having an eye to the future, could that lead to one of the team’s top prospects getting a shot in the big leagues in the near future?

This is a topic that is going to be discussed at length throughout the final stretch of the season. That's not a slight at the club. Right now, the Cardinals are 58-58. For all of the flak that St. Louis has gotten, it still has been significantly better than other sellers throughout the season. Take a look at teams like the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, or even the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals have gotten some negative buzz for a good chunk of the season, especially around the trade deadline, but they're still a .500 team.

Chaim Bloom will have the tough task of turning things around starting in the offseason. It would be good to see what the club has right now and who can be a part of the future. We're going to see a lot of young guys on the field over the next few years for St. Louis and one guy who is making a case for himself right now is No. 2 prospect Quinn Mathews.

Should Cardinals call up No. 2 prospect Quinn Mathews down the stretch?

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Cardinals already made a change for the starting rotation before the All-Star break giving Michael McGreevy a consistent role. Mathews is the next guy who should receive this treatment as well. Overall this season, he has a 3.36 ERA in 17 total starts. He has made 15 starts in Triple-A and one each in Class-A and rookie ball.

He made arguably his best start of the season on Thursday. Mathews pitched seven innings and allowed just two base hits while striking out nine batters. It was his second straight start with nine strikeouts. Overall, he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs since July 5th. In his last five starts, Mathews has a 1.78 ERA and a 34-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 1/3 innings pitched.

Mathews is the No. 2 prospect for the Cardinals for a reason. There's an argument that the Cardinals would be a better team right now with him up in the majors. At the very least, he would give the team an early look before likely getting a big role in 2026. Why not?

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

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