Liam

Doyle

Doyle’s 24-pitch outing perfectly encapsulated where he’s at in his development as he looked dominant early on, fanning Franklin Arias on an 87.8-mph splitter before getting Ralphy Velazquez to swing through a 98-mph heater at the top of the zone. His fastball command wavered immediately afterwards as he issued two-out free passes to Walker Jenkins and Blake Mitchell before getting out of the frame when Jenkins was thrown out attempting to steal third base. The 22-year-old southpaw, who was selected fifth overall in last year’s MLB Draft, has big-time strikeout stuff thanks to a deceptive delivery and should make an impact for fantasy managers if his command continues to improve.

Doyle just made his pro debut Saturday, allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings for Low-A Palm Beach. He had a 3.20 ERA and a 164/32 K/BB in 95 2/3 innings for the University of Tennessee this year.

No word yet on the financial terms. Doyle is one of the more intriguing pitching prospects from the 2025 MLB Draft class after a standout collegiate career in the SEC at Tennessee. The hard-throwing 21-year-old righty, who was selected fifth overall earlier this week by the Cardinals, figures to move extremely quickly through St. Louis’ system given the rapid ascent we’ve seen from fellow elite college arms in recent years. There’s a chance he’s the top pitcher from the draft class and might be the first one to reach the majors. He’s a top-50 range prospect for dynasty purposes.

Doyle was one of the best pitchers in the SEC, and he was able to strike out a sensational 164 hitters over just 95 2/3 innings with a 3.20 ERA in the best baseball conference in the sport. He saw a massive jump in velocity from his sophomore season, and he now touches 100 mph and sits consistently in the mid-to-high 90s. He will throw a cutter that bears into the hands of right-handed hitters and a more traditional slider; with both pitches getting above-average grades. He also has a plus splitter, but the ability to command that pitch is still a work in progress. Doyle offers some risk in his left arm, but he has a chance to be the best pitcher in this class because his bat-missing potential is second to none.