Cardinals Sensation Sends First Message To St. Louis Fans

The St. Louis Cardinals have a new flamethrower on their hands.

St. Louis used the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft to select Liam Doyle out of the University of Tennessee. He pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 19 total appearances in 2025, including 17 starts for the Volunteers. Doyle logged an eye-popping 164-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 95 2/3 innings pitched.

Doyle is the real deal and at some point -- likely in the not-too-distant future as he's already 21 years old -- St. Louis fans will get a look at him at Busch Stadium.

Shortly after being drafted, Doyle gave his first message for Cardinals fans, as shared by The Athletic's Katie Woo.

"I'm ready to go," Doyle said. "I love competition. That's something that has always fueled me. I have a really good fastball, and my off-speed pitched have taken great leaps this year.

"I'm ready to compete against anyone at any level. I'm ready to get after it."

Doyle will quickly rank in the Cardinals' top prospects when everything gets updated after the MLB Draft. He's someone fans should know and get excited for. Doyle has been known throughout his college years for his high-octane fastball and fiery celebrations. The Cardinals haven't had enough pitching over the last few years. This season, that isn't the case in the big leagues. But, the team acknowledged that behind Michael McGreevy there wasn't much big league-ready depth in the minors. Doyle quickly will help with that.