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Cardinals Select Tennessee Strikeout Ace Liam Doyle With Fifth Overall MLB Draft Pick

His SEC Pitcher of the Year season showcased a high-spin fastball that positions him as the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ pitching rebuild.

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Overview

  • Doyle led all Division I pitchers with 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings and amassed 164 strikeouts in 95.2 innings this spring at Tennessee.
  • His four-seam fastball is graded 75, sits 94–96 mph and has touched 99 mph, featuring elite vertical life that ‘jumps through the zone.’
  • Complementing his heater, the left-hander offers plus-grade slider, cutter and splitter that helped him earn SEC Pitcher of the Year honors.
  • After one-year stints at Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss, the 21-year-old’s late-blooming path underscores the modern transfer route to elite arms.
  • While some scouts question long-term durability due to his unorthodox delivery and maximum-intent approach, the Cardinals project him as a mid-rotation starter with upside.