It took less than one week for Liam Doyle to embody the Cardinal Way

Only days after the 2025 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that they've officially signed first-round pitcher Liam Doyle. The two sides reportedly agreed on a $7.25 million bonus, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com.

Doyle's slot value as the No. 5 overall pick is approximately $8.13 million, so he saved St. Louis some money. But more importantly he becomes the second of 27 incoming first-rounders to put pen to paper. The left-hander is ostensibly eager to hit the ground running with his new club, already immersing himself in the "Cardinal Way."

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First-round pick Liam Doyle personifies the Cardinal Way with swift contract negotiations

As Redbird Nation knows, the Cardinals don't operate like your typical Major League organization; they beat to their own drum. Budgetary discipline (or as others would call it, stingy frugal ownership) and developing homegrown talent are two foundations of St. Louis' unconventional team-building approach. Doyle becomes the latest member of the squad to epitomize this mindset.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel's final mock draft had the Los Angeles Angels taking Doyle with the No. 2 overall selection. Keith Law of The Athletic had him second on his big board rankings ($). In other words, there was no guarantee the southpaw would fall to St. Louis, and it could've even been seen as unlikely. However, the Washington Nationals' shocking decision to choose 17-year-old shortstop at No. 1 shook things up worked in the Cards' favor.

St. Louis seemingly understands it was fortunate enough to stumble into Doyle and wasted no time showing it. He's the highest-drafted Cardinal in almost two decades, since selecting outfielder J.D. Drew in 1998. As this franchise has done time and time again, they take care of their young players.

Across three collegiate campaigns, Doyle attended three schools. He started at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Ole Miss as a sophomore and ending up at Tennessee, saving the best for last in Knoxville. His journey has been a bit nomadic, though the 21-year-old has found a home in St. Louis.

Across 95.2 innings of work at Tennessee in 2025, Doyle went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA and 0.993 WHIP. He led all of Division I college baseball with a dominant 15.4 strikeout rate per nine innings. His powerful fastball and combination of off-speed stuff was apparent, which Cardinals fans will soon recognize.