How the Cardinals’ 2026 Rotation Could Look After Drafting Liam Doyle at No. 5
The 2025 MLB Draft didn’t unfold how the St. Louis Cardinals—or just about anyone else—expected. The Washington Nationals sent shockwaves through the league by selecting high school shortstop Eli Willits with the first overall pick, passing over top-ranked prospects like Ethan Holliday and Kade Anderson. Willits had been linked to the Cardinals in several mock drafts, but when the time came, St. Louis pivoted without hesitation.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak made a bold and strategic move, selecting Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle with the No. 5 overall pick—a decision that could help reshape the franchise’s pitching future. While Willits fit the mold of a classic Cardinals-style player, Doyle may be an even better fit for their most pressing need: the starting rotation.
Doyle joins a growing stable of promising young arms in the Cardinals’ system, and suddenly a rotation that has been a concern in recent seasons is starting to look like a long-term strength. With several highly-touted pitching prospects in the pipeline and veterans holding down the top of the rotation, the future is looking bright.
Scouting Snapshot: What Liam Doyle Brings to St. Louis
Doyle is known for his overpowering fastball, which can reach triple digits, and his aggressive approach in the strike zone. In the 2025 college season, he posted a 3.20 ERA with an impressive 164 strikeouts over 95.2 innings in the tough SEC, showing the potential to dominate at the next level.
There are some concerns—his delivery is high-effort, and he leaned heavily on his fastball at Tennessee, raising questions about long-term control and the development of his secondary pitches. Still, left-handers who throw this hard, work deep into games, and consistently attack hitters are rare, making Doyle a high-upside addition to the Cardinals’ pitching staff.
Projected 2026 Cardinals Rotation with Doyle in the Mix
If all goes to plan, this could be how the Cardinals’ rotation takes shape by mid-2026:
- Sonny Gray
- Quinn Mathews
- Matthew Liberatore
- Michael McGreevy
- Tink Hence
- Liam Doyle
- Andre Pallante
Notably, six of these seven pitchers were developed in-house, and the group offers a deep blend of experience, youth, and potential. With aging veterans like Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde likely phased out by then, the Cardinals could be ready to rely entirely on internal options to fill their starting rotation.
Gray appears firmly rooted in St. Louis, especially after resisting trade rumors in the past. Liberatore has made major strides this year, and McGreevy has flashed promise in limited action. Mathews, regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the game, is nearly MLB-ready, and Hence could be knocking on the door soon if he stays healthy.
Adding Doyle to this mix only adds to the depth—and it opens the door to further additions via free agency, especially with St. Louis potentially having more financial flexibility under new leadership like Chaim Bloom. Names like Zac Gallen or Ranger Suárez could also be on the table.
While betting heavily on young pitchers is always a bit of a gamble, this emerging group gives the Cardinals a legitimate shot at building a rotation that’s both deep and dynamic heading into 2026 and beyond.
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