Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Intriguing Cardinals Pitcher Already Turning Heads in Spring Training

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 8:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals entered this offseason with a lot of big decisions to make. They seemingly made every big decision possible as they swung trade after trade to kick off their rebuild.

As spring training began, the Cardinals had swung four massive offseason trades. They sent Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They sent Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox in a pair of deals. Finally, Brendan Donovan was moved to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team blockbuster to cap off the offseason.

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These trades were able to net the Cardinals a slew of talented prospects, including many top pitching prospects. Prospects like Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and many others were brought in. These prospects join pitching prospects like Tink Hence, Liam Doyle, and Quinn Mathews in the Cardinals system.

But it was a different pitching prospect who stood out for the Cardinals on Monday.

Brycen Mautz is a very intriguing Cardinals prospect

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

During Monday's 5-4 spring training victory over the Miami Marlins, the Cardinals saw left handed pitching prospect Brycen Mautz up close and personal. Mautz tossed a scoreless pair of innings in the fourth and fifth innings of the game. Mautz came in after Michael McGreevy allowed a run in two innings of work and JoJo Romero allowed a run in one inning of work. Both of these pitchers are expected to make the opening day roster, while Mautz isn't. But it was Mautz who shined brighter on Monday.

The lefty was dominant in 25 starts last season for the Cardinals Double-A affiliate. He tossed 114 2/3 innings and only allowed 38 earned runs, good for a 2.98 ERA. The lefty allowed 94 hits and issued 33 walks while striking out 134 batters. He posted the best WHIP of his career as well as the best strikeout rate of his career.

Number 15: Brycen Mautz, LHP

2025: 2.98 ERA at Double-A

Average arm-side heater, sits mid-90s, T-97

Plus mid-80s gyro slider, bullet shape

Average low-80s curveball, slurve-like

Lacks a true glove-side pitch

50th percentile outcome: 40+ FV, 5-6th starter on a contender pic.twitter.com/1OZ5tBSQoz
— Adam Akbani (@AdamAkbani) February 23, 2026

Considering the fact that he throws from a low arm slot with a mid 90s fastball, the lefty should get some looks at the Triple-A level early in the year. He might not have the hype around him that Mathews, Doyle, and others do, but Mautz is certainly a name to keep an eye on this spring.

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

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