Central STL News

On Sunday night, the St. Louis Cardinals made their selections in the MLB Draft with a noticeable focus on talent from Tennessee. Among their picks was left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle, chosen as the No. 5 overall pick. Doyle, known for his fast pitching, provided insights into his former University of Tennessee teammate Tanner Franklin, who was selected by the Cardinals at No. 72.

“Tanner is also a super competitive guy, and I feel like that’s all you get when you get Tennessee guys,” said Doyle. “He’s a hard-throwing guy. He knows how to come out of the bullpen, and he really shut things down for us this year.”

Doyle set a record at Tennessee with 164 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Franklin recorded 52 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings primarily from the bullpen. Randy Flores, Cardinals assistant general manager/director of scouting, noted Franklin's potential as a starter due to his impressive fastball.

“Tanner Franklin, with his velocity and the way his fastball plays and his multiple innings of relief, that’s something we want to see as we continue to extend him out,” Flores said.

In addition to Doyle and Franklin, the Cardinals picked Ryan Mitchell from Tennessee high school as the No. 55 overall pick. Mitchell has been recognized as Gatorade High School Player of the Year in Tennessee and is committed to Georgia Tech but may sign with the Cardinals.

“He is someone whose speed and aggressiveness in the batter’s box was just something our scouts just loved,” Flores said.

The team also selected Jack Gurevitch from the University of San Diego with pick No. 89. Gurevitch had an impressive performance with a .371/.477/.681 slash line and was recommended by USD head coach Brock Ungricht.