Central STL News

Several top pitching prospects delivered strong performances across Minor League Baseball on Saturday, with notable outings from left-handers Thomas White (Marlins), Hagen Smith (White Sox), Quinn Mathews (Cardinals), and Sam Aldegheri (Angels). Each pitcher contributed scoreless starts for their respective teams.

Quinn Mathews, ranked as the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 5 prospect, ended August by throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Memphis. He struck out seven batters and allowed just two hits in the outing. Mathews has posted a 2.27 ERA over six starts in August and, after missing more than a month earlier this season, has maintained a 2.96 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 67 innings since June 6.

"Mathews put the finishing touches on a strong August by tossing 5 1/3 scoreless frames for Triple-A Memphis. The Stanford product and 2023 fourth-rounder struck out seven and allowed just two hits to finish the month with a 2.27 ERA in six starts. Mathews missed more than a month earlier this season but has been one of the Cardinals' strongest Minor League hurlers since, posting a 2.96 ERA while fanning 85 in 67 frames across 15 starts since June 6," according to the release.

Elsewhere, Thomas White continued his effective run for Double-A Pensacola with five hitless innings and ten strikeouts, lowering his season ERA to under two. Hagen Smith completed five scoreless innings for Birmingham, allowing only two singles and striking out eight batters following his return from injury.

Brandon Sproat of Syracuse matched his best performance of the year with seven shutout innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, collecting nine strikeouts. In that game, Brendan Beck pitched seven innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, giving up one run on one hit while also striking out nine batters.

Among position players, Dante Nori of Jersey Shore reached base five times and stole four bases in one game during his first week at High-A level play. Marek Houston hit his first professional home run for Cedar Rapids after being drafted last month.

Sam Aldegheri threw eight scoreless innings for Rocket City without issuing any walks or runs while striking out six batters.

For further details about prospect rankings and statistics, readers can refer to MLB Pipeline's resources at https://www.mlb.com/prospects/top100.

The Cardinals continue to monitor their minor league talent as they look ahead to future seasons.