Casual St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Carries a Notable Sense of Competitiveness

Sneaky Good: The Unheralded Rise of Quinn Mathews

The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting pretty with a stack of burgeoning pitching prospects, and one name floating to the top is southpaw Quinn Mathews. After a casual chat on 101 ESPN on Feb 11, it's clear this kid's got a solid mix of swagger and grit.

Fire Under the Sunshine

Beneath his breezy demeanor hides a driven character, intent on silencing the naysayers. Mathews shone as the Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024, and it's his journey from the fourth round of the 2023 draft that fuels his desire to prove his worth.

"It was the way the draft panned out," Mathews explained, "Thinking about how teams saw me, and in my eyes, I wasn’t as valued as I should have been. So, I decided to work my ass off and put together a season to show everyone they should've fought harder for me."

Comparing himself to fellow prospect Tink Hence, Mathews remains humble. "I'm just a lefty," he emphasized.

Yet there might be more depth to that comment. Martin Kilcoyne, one of the radio hosts, hinted that Mathews had shared with him that scouts often labeled him simply as a lefty.

The Angry Bird

Mathews carries a bit of animosity towards scouts and teams for undervaluing him. He sees himself as akin to sports legends like Albert Pujols and Tom Brady, who also faced initial skepticism in their careers.

His rise to the top wasn't a given, as he only hit 90 mph for the first time during his professional debut. He attributes his participation in various sports growing up for his success on the mound.

"I think playing different sports helped me stay healthy and develop different muscles and skills," he said.

Life of the Party

Away from the pitching rubber, Mathews loves the competitive spirit. He's got a soft spot for the Los Angeles Angels (despite being from Southern California), owned a Rally Monkey T-shirt, and gets worked up over games like Chutes & Ladders and Scrabble.

When Mathews isn't diving into the world of cryptocurrency or crafting Scrabble strategies, he's taking on pro hitters with confidence and a steely resolve—him's a cool exterior masks a fierce fire.

Whether it's on the pitching mound or battling friends over board games, Mathews has the guts to back his ability. With a competitive inferno burning within, the young lefty is ready to soar.

Although the scouts and teams may have undervalued him initially, Quinn Mathews' performance in the 2024 Minor League season proved that he was worth the fight, much like sports legends like Albert Pujols and Tom Brady who also faced initial skepticism.
Despite being known for his breezy demeanor, Quinn Mathews harbors a deep-seated ambition, a fire that drives him to prove his worth and silence his critics, a sentiment that was clearly evident after he was drafted in the fourth round in 2023.
With a background in various sports, Quinn Mathew's success on the baseball mound can be attributed to the skills and physicality he gained from his experiences in different sports growing up.
Away from the baseball field, the young pitching prospect Quinn Mathews enjoys the competition, as evidenced by his love for sports, his possession of a Rally Monkey T-shirt (a symbol often associated with the Los Angeles Angels), and his enthusiasm for board games like Chutes & Ladders and Scrabble. In his free time, he also delves into the world of cryptocurrency and strategizes his moves on the Scrabble board.