When Cardinals coach Ryan Ludwick first saw Quinn Mathews on the mound in 2024, one name immediately came to mind: Clayton Kershaw.
Ludwick, a former MLB outfielder turned coach, didn’t take the comparison lightly. The legendary Dodgers left-hander is a two-time World Series champion, a 10-time All-Star, and a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner. Still, Ludwick saw shades of Kershaw in Mathews’ fierce competitiveness and electric stuff.
“This is a huge [comparison], and I don’t like giving guys comps because it’s hard to live up to them at times,” Ludwick said. “But when I think back to that live [BP] that he threw, the guy who I saw young and in his first big league start was Clayton Kershaw. You know, big, tall lefty with good stuff. Obviously, he’s got a long road to go to become Clayton Kershaw, but the electricity he showed in that live [BP], and the way he rose through the system last year and competed at each level, you can see a bright future for him.”
Mathews, the No. 2 prospect in the Cardinals’ farm system and No. 45 overall in MLB, took the field in Friday’s Spring Breakout game, tossing three scoreless innings in a 3-3 tie against Miami’s top prospects. The 24-year-old lefty, who struck out 202 batters last season en route to being named Minor League Baseball’s Pitching Prospect of the Year, recorded three strikeouts and three walks in his latest outing.
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Despite the clean results, Mathews wasn’t satisfied with his performance.
“I wasn’t sharp, and that’s fine because you are going to have outings like that,” Mathews said. “The key is how do you put together quality outings even when you are not at your sharpest or best? I made some pitches when I needed to, but there were at-bats that I gave away that I didn’t need to. Mechanically, I might need to address a few things.”
Mathews was stunned to hear Ludwick’s Kershaw comparison.
“Obviously, that’s probably one of the biggest compliments you can get when you are getting compared to arguably the best arm in our conscious generation,” Mathews said. “That’s a huge honor to get an acknowledgment like that. Maybe with the competitiveness, but I’m not as good physically. But maybe I’m as competitive as Kershaw.”
Mathews got defensive help behind him as well. Center fielder Nathan Church threw out Marlins first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos at the plate to end the second inning, and catcher Jimmy Crooks, the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect, cut down a baserunner attempting to steal second in the third.
With a fastball touching 95 mph, a deceptive changeup, and a sharp curveball, Mathews breezed through a perfect first inning. He worked around two walks in the second before fanning Carter Johnson with an 83 mph slider and fooling Javier Sanoja with a well-placed changeup in the third. Crooks, who caught Mathews in the minors, believes the lefty is just getting started.
“Quinn’s a perfectionist, kind of like how I am, so he felt like his stuff wasn’t good, but he still got three scoreless innings and he’s fine,” Crooks said with a laugh. “It’s a long Spring Training, and once the season rolls around, he’ll be a whole different Quinn Mathews, kind of like it was last year. He’s going to dominate, and I love catching him.” Mathews’ future is bright, and while the Kershaw comparison sets the bar high, the young left-hander is embracing the challenge.
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