The 2025 MLB Draft will take place in July 2025. Andersen Pickard shares his analysis of Liam Doyle, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Tennessee.
Make sure to check out Andersen Pickard’s 2025 MLB Draft Board and his other MLB Draft Profiles.
Liam Doyle, Left-Handed Pitcher, Tennessee
| Player | Pos | School | Grade |
| Liam Doyle | LHP | Tennessee | 50 |
| Age | Height | Weight | Bats | Throws |
| 20 | 6-2 | 220 | L | L |
Scouting Grades for Liam Doyle
Fastball: 60
Slider: 50
Cutter: 50
Splitter: 50
Control: 50
Overall: 50
Scouting Report
Doyle has become well-traveled in college baseball, earning starts for Coastal Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee over the last three seasons. The New Hampshire native has evolved into one of college baseball’s most electric pitchers, racking up high strikeout rates while facing stiff competition within his first few weeks at Tennessee. In his role, he leads the Vols’ rotation in the quest to defend their national title. He pairs his elite 18.0 K/9 rate with 3.2 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 clips.
The focal point of Doyle’s repertoire is his fastball, which consistently sits 92-96 mph while topping out at 99 mph. He uses a high release point and strong command to land the pitch near the top of the zone, averaging approximately 20 inches of induced vertical break. The elevated location of his fastball routinely forces hitters to whiff or, at best, record only weak contact.
Doyle also throws a slider, which is currently an average offering. However, it may be the best of his secondary pitches and has the greatest chance to become an above-average pitch. The breaking ball checks in between 80-85 mph with nearly 10 inches of horizontal break and extreme bat-missing potential.
Doyle also throws a cutter between 86-90 mph, and the pitch nicely complements both his fastball and slider. It’s his least-used pitch, but he still has significant trust in the offering early in the count against left-handed hitters.
Finally, Doyle throws a hybrid changeup/splitter that fades roughly 14 inches and has more horizontal movement than any of his pitches. (For what it’s worth, the pitch typically presents closer to a splitter than a changeup.) With a spin rate around 1,200 mph, the offering has the upside to be a lethal option late in counts with an effective blend of fade and sink. Historically, the pitch has been the weakest offering in his repertoire, and it still needs more development. However, he throws it more than his slider and cutter, and he’s started to show a little more command with the pitch.
On the topic of command, Doyle has fared well landing his fastball in the top of the zone. In general, he’s flashed an ability to hit the perimeter of the zone, accruing called strikes early in the count before blowing batters away with his heater. However, his command is still a work in progress, especially with his slider and cutter. At times, the pitches will miss their spot and stay in the zone, and with more horizontal movement than vertical, they can meet the bath path and cause damage.
Doyle’s fastball is one of the best in the draft, his ability to get strikeouts is undeniable, and there’s clear upside in the rest of his repertoire. However, in order for his draft stock to rise even further, he’ll need to take at least one of his slider, cutter, or splitter to the next level.
Main Image Credit: Liam Doyle/X
