Cards' young fireballer draws ... Kershaw comps?

JUPITER, Fla. -- Dating back to the first time Cardinals roving instructor Ryan Ludwick saw left-hander Quinn Mathews flash his fiery competitiveness and overpowering stuff in a 2024 live batting practice session, one very favorable comparison kept coming to mind. Clayton Kershaw -- a career 212-game winner, two-time World Series
JUPITER, Fla. -- Dating back to the first time Cardinals roving instructor Ryan Ludwick saw left-hander Quinn Mathews flash his fiery competitiveness and overpowering stuff in a 2024 live batting practice session, one very favorable comparison kept coming to mind.
Clayton Kershaw -- a career 212-game winner, two-time World Series champion, 10-time All-Star and three-time National League Cy Young Award winner -- was the comparison Ludwick conjured up. Undoubtedly, the Cardinals would be thrilled if the 24-year-old Mathews has a career as dominant as the Dodgers’ lefty.
Mathews, the Cardinals' No. 2-ranked prospect and No. 45 in baseball, showed why scouts and fans are so bullish about his future in Friday’s Spring Breakout game. Mathews threw three scoreless innings during a 3-3 tie against Miami's top prospects at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mathews, who struck out 202 batters last season and was named Minor League Baseball’s Pitching Prospect of the Year, fanned three Marlins and walked three on Friday.
Ever the perfectionist and often his harshest critic, Mathews said he never felt comfortable on Friday -- with his delivery or his stuff.
“I wasn’t sharp, and that’s fine because you are going to have outings like that,” said Mathews, who threw 49 pitches, but just 23 for strikes. “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.”
Ludwick, the Cardinals' Spring Breakout manager on Friday, said he was very impressed with Mathews, St. Louis' fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Though he made several qualifiers, Ludwick offered a very favorable pro comparison for the 6-foot-4, 214-pound Mathews, who he first saw compete in a fiery live batting practice session against hitters early in 2024.
“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, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., was shocked to hear the comparison.
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
“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,” said Mathews, who pitched at four Minor League levels last season. “That’s a huge honor to get an acknowledgement like that. Maybe with the competitiveness, but I’m not as good physically. But maybe I’m as competitive as Kershaw.”
JJ Wetherholt, the top-ranked player in the Cards' system and No. 23 in baseball, lined out to left, grounded out and was hit by a pitch in his three plate appearances.
Mathews pitched well over his three innings, and he got some stellar defensive support from his teammates. Center fielder Nathan Church threw out Marlins first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos at the plate to end the second inning and keep the game scoreless. Then, catcher Jimmy Crooks -- St. Louis' No. 4 prospect, showed off his arm and quick transition by throwing out Jared Serna trying to steal second to end the third inning.
Mixing a changeup and a curveball with a fastball that topped out at 95 mph, Mathews threw a perfect first inning and pitched around two walks in the second. In the third, he fanned Carter Johnson with an 83 mph slider and fooled Javier Sanoja with a changeup.
“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.”
Senior Reporter John Denton covers the Cardinals for MLB.com.
Upgrade Your Summer Nights at PNC Field
Every RailRiders season offers something amazing, including amazing theme nights, exclusive events and VIP experiences! Click here to learn more!
Outslugged... Barely: Jones hits three homers but SWB falls 10-8
ROCHESTER, NY (July 24, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders fell 10-8 to the Rochester Red Wings on Thursday afternoon at Innovative Field. Spencer Jones hit three home runs to take the Minor League lead, but the Red Wings tallied runs in six of eight innings to take a 2-1 series
Battle Tested: RailRiders outlast Red Wings in 12
ROCHESTER, NY (July 23, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders outlasted the Rochester Red Wings 8-6 in 12 innings on Wednesday night at Innovative Field. The RailRiders built an early lead, were forced to battle back and took command in the extras, all keyed by a franchise-record tying 22 strikeouts by
Snapped: SWB's winning streak broken at 11 in a row
ROCHESTER, NY (July 22, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders lost 7-1 to the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday night at Innovative Field, snapping the RailRiders' 11-game winning streak. Box Score Rochester opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Robert Hassell, III reached on a single and advanced
Offertunity Knocks: RailRiders announce two special deals
MOOSIC, PA (April 3, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced two special offers for the upcoming 2025 season. After popular runs in 2024, the College Rush ticket offer has returned for students and the Military Discount has been upgraded for active or
Another Won: RailRiders match franchise record with 11th straight win
WORCESTER, MA (July 20, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders matched a franchise record with their eleventh straight win, topping the Worcester Red Sox 8-2 at Polar Park on Sunday afternoon. Spencer Jones went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a pair batted in as the RailRiders matched the record win
Herculean Heroics: Rojas helps power RailRiders to tenth straight win
WORCESTER, MA (July 19, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders staved off the Worcester Red Sox for a 10-8 win on Saturday afternoon at Polar Park. Jose Rojas hit three home runs to help lead the RailRiders to their tenth straight win. Box Score
All Gas, No Break: RailRiders win ninth straight
WORCESTER, MA (July 18, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders topped the Worcester Red Sox 11-3 on Friday night at Polar Park. Eight out of nine hitters had at least one hit, three players homered and Brendan Beck struck out a career-best nine batters as the RailRiders won their ninth straight.
Clean Sweep: RailRiders cap series sweep with 5-4 victory
MOOSIC, PA (July 13, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 5-4 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field to complete the series sweep. The RailRiders have won eight in a row and sit alone atop the International League standings heading into the MLB All-Star break. Box Score Yankees #2
Good Vibes: RailRiders top Bisons for seventh straight win
MOOSIC, PA (July 12, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the Buffalo Bisons 6-3 Saturday night at PNC Field for their seventh consecutive win. Jose Rojas and Jake Gatewood each hit home runs and Erick Leal earned his fourth win of the second half. Box Score Buffalo took the lead
Winning Ways: SWB plates 10 in sixth straight victory
MOOSIC, PA (July 11, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 10-1 Friday night at PNC Field. Allan Winans carried a perfect game into the fifth and was backed by a pair of three-run homers from Spencer Jones and T.J. Rumfield, leading the RailRiders to their sixth win
Hot Streak: RailRiders top Bisons for fifth straight victory
MOOSIC, PA (July 10, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Buffalo Bisons 11-7 Thursday night at PNC Field. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre fell behind three times in the game, but a six-run seventh inning secured the RailRiders' fifth win in a row and third straight against the Bisons. Box Score Buffalo opened
W-Day: RailRiders beat Bisons 7-2 for fourth straight win
MOOSIC, PA (July 9, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the Buffalo Bisons 7-2 Wednesday afternoon at PNC Field. Jesús Rodríguez and Spencer Jones homered to back up a quality start from Sean Boyle as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took the first two games of the set against the Bisons. Box Score The
Tone Setter: SWB takes Buffalo series opener 5-2
MOOSIC, PA (July 8, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders topped the Buffalo Bisons 5-2 Tuesday night at PNC Field. Jorbit Vivas and Ismael Munguia had three hits apiece, helping back Carlos Carrasco in his first RailRiders win. Box Score The Bisons opened the scoring against Carrasco in the fourth. Alan
Good Day: Jones, De La Cruz and Leal pace 9-6 victory
MOOSIC, PA (July 6, 2025) – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 9-6 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. Spencer Jones and Bryan De La Cruz both homered and Erick Leal notched a quality start, propelling the RailRiders to a series victory against the IronPigs. Box Score Lehigh Valley tallied
Career Night: Pereira hits for cycle as RailRiders topple IronPigs
MOOSIC, PA (July 5, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 16-6 Saturday night at PNC Field. Yankees #12 Prospect Everson Pereira hit for the cycle and drove in six as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre evened the set at two games apiece heading into the series finale Sunday afternoon. Box
Battle Lost: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre drops 5-4 decision Friday
MOOSIC, PA (July 4, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders lost to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 5-4 Friday night at PNC Field. Two home runs from two top Yankees prospects were not enough to defeat Lehigh Valley on Independence Day. Box Score The IronPigs jumped out to an early advantage in
Walk-Off Woe: RailRiders fall to IronPigs 6-5 Thursday
ALLENTOWN, PA (July 3, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders were walked off by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 6-5 on Thursday evening at Coca-Cola Park. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Keaton Anthony singled off the high wall in right to plate two and
Epic: RailRiders top IronPigs 9-8 Wednesday night
ALLENTOWN, PA (July 2, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 9-8 on Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park. Alex Jackson homered twice and drove in five as the RailRiders built a lead, fell behind and came back for the series-opening win. Box Score Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took a 2-0
Tomorrow Perhaps: Tuesday's opener in Allentown washed out
ALLENTOWN, PA (July 1, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs slated for Tuesday, July 1, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Tonight’s game will be made up when the RailRiders return to Allentown in early August with a twinbill on August 6. The RailRiders
Scintillating Sunday: Leal and Velazquez shine in series finale
MOOSIC, PA (June 29, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Worcester Red Sox 6-1 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. A four-run fourth and a quality start from RailRiders pitcher Erick Leal secured the series finale victory as the RailRiders took five of six from the WooSox. Box Score After
Streaks Suppressed: RailRiders fall in extras 5-3 Saturday
MOOSIC, PA (June 28, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders lost to the Worcester Red Sox 5-3 in 10 innings Saturday night at PNC Field. The defeat snapped a six-game winning streak for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and sent them to their first loss of the second half. Box Score The RailRiders jumped out
Friday Night Highlights: Jones and Rojas homers drive 4-2 win
MOOSIC, PA (June 27, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Worcester Red Sox 4-2 Friday night at PNC Field to secure a series win against Boston’s Triple-A affiliate. Yankees #2 Prospect Spencer Jones and Jose Rojas both hit home runs to pace the RailRiders to their sixth straight win.
On A Roll: RailRiders top WooSox for ninth straight home win
MOOSIC, PA (June 26, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Worcester Red Sox 4-2 Thursday night at PNC Field. The win was the ninth consecutive home victory for the RailRiders and the fifth in a row as the RailRiders guaranteed at least a series split with Worcester. Box Score
Picture Perfect: Cam Schlittler flashes brilliance in 4-0 win
MOOSIC, PA (June 25, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders blanked the Worcester Red Sox 4-0 Wednesday night at PNC Field for their eighth shutout of the year. After a two-hour rain delay, Yankees #10 Prospect Cam Schlittler worked a quality start, pacing the RailRiders to their fourth win in a