Quinn Mathews, once dreaming of a career in investment banking, is now firmly on the pitching mound as the St. Louis Cardinals' top-prospect. In an unexpected twist of fate, Mathews, who initially wanted to be an investment banker, has traded in his financial charts for a baseball chart, according to a recent FOX2now. Having posted a 2.76 ERA with a remarkable 202 strikeouts over 146.1 innings in the minors, the Stanford alumnus was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season and is now the Cardinals' beacon of hope on the diamond.
This California native, who bucked the usual path to professional sports with his erstwhile banking aspirations, didn't envision his life playing out on the baseball field. Speaking of his unique childhood dreams, Mathews said, "I kind of wanted to be an investment banker growing up. Really, I was definitely a weird kid in that regard, where I played sports because I enjoyed the competition." This revelation came during a Cardinals Winter Warm-Up media session as captured by FOX2now. Mathews' competitive spirit not only led him to a standout career at Stanford, where he excelled in high-leverage situations, but also pushed him to new heights in minor league baseball, driving him to prove himself at a professional level.
Yet, it's Mathews' individuality, and perhaps a dose of quirkiness that sets him apart from his peers. His off-field interests include crypto currency investments and, as per a statement obtained by MLB.com, even his mother had to intervene to prevent him from investing his entire first professional contract in digital assets. He expresses his competitive edge in unconventional ways; alongside his scrappy style on the mound is his love for a good game of Scrabble, revealing a multi-dimensional athlete unafraid to embrace his distinctiveness.
Now ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Cardinals' organization and No. 77 overall by MLB Pipeline, Mathews' path to the big leagues has been somewhat serpentine. His journey from Single-A to knocking on the door of the Majors in just a season has been noteworthy, as much for its rarity as for its success, according to MLB.com. "Now, I don’t really have goals," Mathews said, illustrating his unique approach to his career and life, "I don’t like that word because I feel the word 'goal' means if you achieve it, awesome, but if not, it’s OK."
The up-and-comer's story is not just one of an athlete's rise but also of personal evolution and defiance of convention. He acknowledges the challenges ahead, "So, that chip’s still there. I did what I had to do last year to maybe prove a couple of people wrong, but not everyone," Mathews told MLB.com.
