Cardinals Select Liam Doyle With 5th Overall Pick; Select 3 More On 1st Day

CARDINALS SELECT LIAM DOYLE WITH 5^TH OVERALL PICK OF 2025 MLB DRAFT

21-Year-Old Left-Handed Pitcher is Team’s Second Highest Drafted Pitcher in Franchise History;

2025 SEC Pitcher of the Year led Nation in SO/9 & Broke Volunteers Single Season Strikeout Record

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 13, 2025 – The St. Louis Cardinals selected left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle out of the University of Tennessee with their first-round selection (5^th overall) in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft.

Doyle, 21, recently completed his junior season with the Volunteers making 19 appearances (17 starts), posting a 10-4 record with a 3.20 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a school-record 164 strikeouts across 95.2 innings pitched. He led the nation with 15.43 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked second in strikeouts.

On March 7, Doyle and four other pitchers combined to throw the ninth no-hitter in Tennessee history and the program’s first since 2002. Doyle started the contest and struck out 13 across 5.2 hitless innings. Then, on April 4, Doyle and another pitcher combined for a no-hitter in a seven-inning run-rule victory. Doyle once again handled the bulk of the game, tossing six no-hit innings while fanning eight.

“Doyle possesses an electric fastball that can allow him to attack batters at the Major League level, and we’re very excited to see his intensity at Busch Stadium in the future, said Cardinals Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Randy Flores.  “He has an extremely high floor and his ceiling is through-the-roof.”

The 6’2”, 220-pound southpaw is the Cardinals second-highest drafted pitcher in franchise history behind RHP Braden Looper (3^rd overall in 1996) out of Wichita State University and the highest drafted left-handed pitcher, surpassing Donovan Osborne who went (13^th overall in 1990) out of University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Doyle is the Cardinals highest overall selection since OF J.D. Drew was taken 5^th overall in 1998, which are the franchise’s only two No. 5 overall selections since 1965. He is the 13^th Top-10 draft pick chosen by St. Louis and only the fourth Top-5 selection, joining a list that includes Looper, 3B Dmitri Young (No. 4 in 1991), and Drew.

Named 2025 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year, Doyle is the highest-drafted selection out of the University of Tennessee since Nick Senzel (2^nd overall) in 2016 and the highest-ever drafted by the Cardinals, joining RHP Ted Carson (17^th Rd. in 1982), C Mike DiFelice (11^th Rd. in 1991), OF José Vázquez (42^nd Rd. in 1992), OF Vince Jackson (14th^th Rd. in 2016), and C Benito Santiago (34^th Rd. of 2018) as the sixth Volunteer drafted overall since 1965.

The Dick Howser Trophy Award finalist becomes the seventh college pitcher to be selected by St. Louis with their first selection in the first round of the MLB Draft since 2011, joining LHP Cooper Hjerpe (22^nd overall in 2022), RHP Michael McGreevy (18^th overall in 2021), LHP Zack Thompson (19^th overall in 2019), RHP Luke Weaver (27^th overall in 2014), LHP Marco Gonzales (19^th overall in 2013), and RHP Michael Wacha (19^th overall in 2012).

This marks the first time in franchise history having consecutive top 10 selections after drafting INF JJ Wetherholt with the 7th overall pick from West Virginia University last season.

Prior to joining Tennessee, Doyle played his sophomore season at Ole Miss and freshman season at Coastal Carolina. He was a four-year baseball letterman at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Liam is the son of Steven and Kathleen Doyle. His father played soccer at UMass Lowell.

TC Calhoun was the Cardinals area drafting scout.

The 2025 MLB Draft continues this evening with the Cardinals having three additional selections (nos. 55, 72 & 89) and will resume tomorrow with rounds 4-20, beginning at 10:30 AM CT.

— STL —

CARDINALS MAKE FOUR SELECTIONS ON FIRST DAY OF 2025 MLB DRAFT

5^th OVERALL SELECTION DOYLE & HIS VOLUNTEERS TEAMMATE FRANKLIN HEADLINE PITCHER SELECTIONS

PREP STANDOUT MITCHELL & UNIV. OF SAN DIEGO SLUGGER GUREVITCH ROUND OUT DAY 1 DRAFTEES

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 13, 2025 – The St. Louis Cardinals, armed with four selections during the first night of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, selected two college pitchers, a high school outfielder, and college first baseman.

Lefty pitcher Liam Doyle, the 5^th overall pick in the draft, was joined by his University of Tennessee teammate RHP Tanner Franklin, taken 72^nd overall as a Compensation Round B pick.

Memphis, Tenn. area prep standout Ryan Mitchell was the Cardinals 2^nd round (55^th overall) pick out of Houston (Tenn.) High School and University of San Diego first baseman Jack Gurevitch was selected in the 3^rd round (89^th overall).

LHP Liam Doyle
1^st Round (5^th overall)
University of Tennessee

Bats: Right            
Throws: Left
Hometown: Derry, New Hampshire
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 220 lb.
Age: 21 years old (June 3, 2004)

• MLB Draft Video: LINK
• 2025 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year completed his junior season with the Volunteers making 19 appearances (17 starts), posting a 10-4 record with a 3.20 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a school-record 164 strikeouts across 95.2 innings pitched.
• He led the nation with 15.43 SO/9 IP, and ranked second in strikeouts.
• Is the Cardinals second-highest drafted pitcher in franchise history behind RHP Braden Looper (3rd overall in 1996) out of Wichita State University and the highest drafted left-handed pitcher, surpassing Donovan Osborne who went (13th overall in 1990) out of UNLV.
• Is the Cardinals highest overall selection since OF J.D. Drew was taken 5th overall in 1998, which are the franchise’s only two No. 5 overall selections since 1965.
• He is the 13th Top-10 draft pick chosen by St. Louis and only the fourth Top-5 selection, joining a list that includes Looper, 3B Dmitri Young (No. 4 in 1991), and Drew.
• Is the highest-drafted selection out of the University of Tennessee since Nick Senzel (2nd overall) in 2016 and the highest-ever drafted by the Cardinals.
• Signing scout was TC Calhoun.

OF Ryan Mitchell
2^nd Round (55^th overall)
Houston (Tenn.) High School

Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Hometown: Germantown, Tenn.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 lb.
Age: 18 years old (January 21, 2007)

• MLB Draft Video: LINK
• 2024-25 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year at Houston High School, where he played shortstop and second base (drafted as an outfielder).
• Maintained a 4.03 weighted GPA, was a member of National Honor Society including four years of academic honor roll and volunteered locally on behalf of a food bank.
• Mitchell joins Memphis Redbirds (AAA) Manager Ben Johnson (1999 4^th Rd. from Germantown High School) as draft picks from Germantown, Tenn.
• Notable Houston High School alumni include RHP Matt Cain (2002 1st round, 25th overall, by San Francisco) and RHP Stu Pomeranz (2003 2nd round, 65th overall, by St. Louis).
• Won a gold medal with the 2022 USA Baseball 15U National Team.
• Committed to play college baseball at Georgia Tech University.
• Signing scout is Dirk Kinney.

RHP Tanner Franklin
Comp. Balance Rd. B (72^nd overall)
University of Tennessee

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Hometown: Jefferson City, Tenn.
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 225 lb.
Age: 21 years old (May 25, 2004)

• MLB Draft Video: LINK
• Teammates with Liam Doyle on the 2025 Tennessee and was one of eight Volunteers selected on Day One of the MLB Draft.
• Was 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA (38.2 IP) and 52 strikeouts in 27 games (one start) in 2025, setting career highs in appearances, strikeouts, and ERA.
• Joined Doyle as one of five pitchers to contribute to the ninth no-hitter in Tennessee history on March 7, 2025.
• Graduated from Jefferson County (Tenn.) High School. Other notable JCHS alumni include former Cardinals minor league pitcher Rich Rundles.
• 2024 Cape Cod All-Star on the Chatham Anglers, where he was teammates with 2025 MLB Draft selections Aiva Arquette and Kyle Lodise
• Pitched two seasons at Kennesaw State University (2023-24), appearing in 34 games (three starts) with five saves and 61 strikeouts in 38.1 innings pitched.
• Signing scout was TC Calhoun.

1B Jack Gurevitch
3^rd Round (89^th overall)
University of San Diego

Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Hometown: Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 215 lb.
Age: 21 years old (March 4, 2004)

• MLB Draft Video: LINK
• Played three seasons at the University of San Diego, slashing .326/.443/.560 with 32 home runs, 120 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 161 games.
• Batted .371/.477/.681 (85-229) with 17 home runs, 16 doubles, and 56 RBI in 56 games in 2025, leading the Toreros in most statistical categories. Also paced the West Coast Conference in batting, OBP, and walks (35).
• Was a 2024 Cape Cod All-Star with the Orleans Firebirds.
• Hails from the Notre Dame High School in Southern California that produced Jack McDowell, Chris Dickerson, Hunter Greene, Giancarlo Stanton, and former Cardinal Brendan Ryan.
• Signing scout was Chris Rodriguez.

The 2025 MLB Draft continues today with rounds 4-20, beginning at 10:30 AM CT.

2025 MLB FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT – RECAP