Cardinals Sign First-Round Pick Liam Doyle
On Thursday morning, the Cardinals announced they have signed first-round draft pick Liam Doyle. Although the team did not release the bonus amount, reports say Doyle agreed to a $7.25 million signing bonus, while the slot value for the fifth overall pick is about $8.13 million.
Doyle, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Tennessee, was the third pitcher selected in this year’s draft. This marks the first time the Cardinals have picked in the top five in nearly thirty years. Doyle is their highest draft selection since J.D. Drew was also taken fifth overall in 1998, and their highest-drafted pitcher since Braden Looper went third in 1996.
Early in his college career, Doyle struggled while splitting time between Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss. However, he broke out during his junior year at Tennessee, posting a 3.20 ERA over 95 and two-thirds innings in the highly competitive SEC. He struck out 43% of the batters he faced, finishing with 164 strikeouts — second in the country only to LSU’s Kade Anderson, who was drafted third overall.
Many evaluators rated Doyle as one of the best pitchers in this class. Keith Law ranked him as the top pitcher and second overall prospect on his board. Other outlets placed him within the top ten. Scouts praise Doyle’s lively fastball, which sits in the upper 90s and overpowered college hitters. Some have noted he relies heavily on his fastball and have minor concerns about his delivery, but he’s generally expected to have solid control. He also throws a strong splitter and a solid slider, projecting him as a potential number two starter if his command continues to improve.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Doyle reach the majors by the end of the 2026 season, as many recent college draftees have made quick debuts. He joins a Cardinals farm system that already features promising arms like Quinn Mathews, Tekoah Roby, Michael McGreevy, and Tink Hence. Additionally, 25-year-old Matthew Liberatore is having a breakout year in the majors and is looking like a key piece of the rotation for the future.
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