ST. LOUIS – Quinn Mathews, a fast-rising Cardinals prospect and reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Year, finds himself on a path he never imagined taking. For many years, he envisioned a future in investment banking. Now, he finds himself on the cusp of a Major League Baseball career.
Mathews, a 2023 fourth-round pick and California native, quickly emerged as one of the brightest talents in minor-league baseball last year, posting a 2.76 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 146.1 innings. He spent most of the season with Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, and his rapid rise through the ranks has drawn significant attention.
That said, his longtime interests elsewhere played a role in shaping an unusual path to professional baseball.
“As a kid, I didn’t really want to play professional baseball, so I’m definitely different than, I would say, the average major league player,” said Mathews on Sunday during his Cardinals Winter Warm-Up media session. “I kind of wanted to be an investment banker growing up. Really, I was definitely a weird kid in that regard, where I played sports because I enjoyed the competition. I love competition. I still love competition to this day.”
That competitive drive led Mathews to Stanford University, where he balanced the rigorous demands of academics with collegiate baseball at one of the nation’s premier programs. Over four seasons, he developed into a reliable pither and often excelled in high-leverage situations, helping Stanford qualify for the NCAA Tournament three times.
While he fell short of a championship at Stanford, Mathews says those experiences left him with unfinished business, fueling his confidence to achieve more success at the professional level.
“It’s an opportunity to represent the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis area,” said Mathews of his future in the Cardinals organization. “You can tell it’s a baseball town, and that’s contagious. As an athlete, you want to go out there and compete for a city that loves the group of guys and loves the game. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“Chip on the shoulder”
Mathews feels he has carried “chip on the shoulder” throughout much of his baseball career, though the nature of that chip has evolved over time.
After making strides in his junior and senior years at Standfird, Mathews was motivated by doubt he faced when MLB teams overlooked him in two draft cycles.
“It was basically, everyone in 2022 passed over me, theoretically,” said Mathews. “So 2023, it was like, ‘Alright.’ That was my senior year. So new chip there. 2023 happened, and that year I got taken where I did, but it was still like, ‘Okay, these organizations still pass over me three or four more times.’ That chip is still there.”
While he thrived for much of last year, Mathews faced challenges upon his promotion to Triple-A Memphis (6.48 ERA over 16.2 IP). He believes those struggles gave him a new “chip.”
“It’s kind of that competitiveness where it makes life really hard when you’re frustrated at yourself, just because I didn’t end the season as well as I should have,” said Mathews. “It was pretty fresh on the mind that I’m not as good as I think I am not going to get back to work, because clearly I couldn’t pitch a month in September, and that was my only experience in Triple-A.”
Pitching Identity
Mathews is a left-handed pitcher known for a three-pitch arsenal: Fastball, changeup and slider pitches. Scouting reports widely tout his swing-and-miss ability.
“You think about how quickly he elevated himself as a prospect,” said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “He has that swing-and-miss ability, which is something right now that is very vogue in our game. I think he’s one of those guys that has a lot of confidence in what he’s doing. I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Mathews has drawn inspiration from the pitching styles of Jon Lester and Max Fried. Describing his hopes not as “goals” but rather “expectations,” Mathews looks to improve his endurance and pitcher deep into every outing.
“The duration of the season kind of got to my last September,” said Mathews. “I was asking my body to do things in September that it got done all year long. I just didn’t have that same kick. … [The challenge is] how do I get 7-8 more weeks out of my body, not only at the level I was maintaining but at a higher level? Because at that time, the most important baseball is being played.”
Although Mathews can reach the mid-90s on his fastball, he doesn’t believe velocity is the sole key to success.
“I mean, velocity is really cool. Don’t get me wrong, it helps,” said Mathews. “I’ve seen that first-hand, but it doesn’t allow you to be a great pitcher. You can go through the minor leagues at any team, any organization, from the lowest levels. There are guys throwing the ball 100 miles per hour. … It just buys you a little bit of grace, but it doesn’t make you a great pitcher. So I think learning how to pitch—that’s probably still the biggest thing in my career that I’ve done through high school and college specifically.”
And one standout moment from college that still drives him? A whopping 156-pitch complete game in a do-or-die NCAA Super Regional matchup from June 2023.
“It’s hard to replicate experiences like that,” said Mathews. “Our Stanford team gave me as many opportunities as you could ask for as a college baseball player to throw in games that arguably mean more than anything else. … I’m hoping that my next experience with playoff baseball is better.”
Beyond Baseball
Unlike baseball, Mathews’ interest in finance has always been a part of him, driven by his studies and friendships.
“One of my childhood best friends growing up was like we’re going to be the best investment bankers, and go to New York and live that life, and work 80 hours a week. And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds awesome. Let’s do it.’ And that’s what I convinced myself I was going to do for the longest time.”
Beyond traditional finance, Mathews also keeps an eye on cryptocurrency trends.
In both banking and baseball, Mathews is consistently seeking a competitive edge. That’s also the case for board games.
“That’s kind of my issue when I’m playing games is that sometimes, you know, being a little too competitive can be taxing on the people around you,” said Mathews.
When asked about a game to play to challenge a kid, Mathews replied, “Catan.”
“Catan is tough,” said Mathews. “A lot of strategy, a lot of thinking. I’d say it’s probably more of an ‘older person’ game because of all the strategic thinking and the trades involved. It’s a different beast. because you’ll realize that some resources are really scarce, while others are more flexible.”