McFarland: Despite detours, Lloyd’s big league dream still alive
After a strong season with the St. Louis Cardinals’ double-A Springfield affiliate in 2024, Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) has his sights set on moving up in the organization. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs
*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on January 24, 2025. You can read it here.
January 25, 2025
By Joe McFarland
Alberta Dugout Stories
Unlike a ball diamond’s basepaths, a journey in professional baseball is never a straight line.
No one knows that more than Matt Lloyd, who has endured more than his fair share of detours over the past few years as he looks to fulfill the dream of making it to the big leagues.
He’s been released, played independent ball, represented his country, suited up internationally, almost quit the game, signed a new professional contract, and is now coming off a solid season with the double-A Springfield Cardinals.
The dream is still very much alive.
“It’s been a crazy couple of years and a lot of it has come with the unknowing of what’s next, you know what I mean?” Lloyd told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “It’s been really cool and I’m just excited to keep going.”
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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Matt Lloyd here.
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With another one-year contract under his belt, the Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs alum is grateful for the opportunity to keep moving up the ladder in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization in 2025.
SEEIN’ REDS
A 15th-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, Lloyd was coming off three very productive seasons with Indiana University.
His first pro summer was split between the Pioneer League’s Billings Mustangs and the Single-A Dayton Dragons, hitting a combined .236 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in over 50 games.
Lloyd returned to the Reds’ system following the pandemic to hit .246 with eight more roundtrippers and 15 RBIs in 36 games during the abbreviated 2021 season.
His 2022 season was shortened by injury and after a short stint with the Reds in spring training the following season, he was released.
Not content with letting that be the way it ended, Lloyd signed on with the Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association, hitting .321 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 88 games.
“I was just trying to have a good time, and enjoy the teammates and being able to play every day,” said Lloyd, who also took part in the league’s All-Star Game. “Literally going into that season thinking I’m going to have as much fun as I can.”
It’s where he met manager Steve Montgomery, who became a major influence in Lloyd’s journey back to affiliated baseball.
ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Looking to capitalize on a strong start in Sioux City, Lloyd was asked to play for Baseball Canada at the Pan Am Games Qualifiers in Argentina.
Playing third base, the 2013 Baseball Alberta 18U ‘AAA’ Player of the Year hit .308 with a homer and three RBIs in four games as Canada went 3-1 at the tournament.
For his efforts, Lloyd was named the Baseball Canada Men’s National Team Most Valuable Player.
He then headed even further south, where he hit .295 with nine dingers and 28 RBIs in 55 games for Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.
While the Alberta infielder handled his business on the field, he says Montgomery was making calls for him in the major league ranks, eventually getting a call from the St. Louis Cardinals in December 2023.
“I was just really excited but I also understood that the job’s not finished,” Lloyd said.
“Nothing really changes for me … just keep working, keep playing and hopefully end up in the big leagues one day.”
SPRINGFIELD, SPRINGFIELD
Coming out of spring training, Lloyd was assigned to the double-A Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League.
He wanted to bring his mindset of having a good time and enjoying the moment with his new team.
The former Okotoks Dawgs two-way star and 2017 Western Major Baseball League Top Canadian also wanted to stay healthy, which he was able to do by playing in 120 games for the Cardinals, hitting .269 with 17 homers, 77 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
“I was pretty happy with my performance, honestly,” he said. “I thought that I showed who I am at the plate, for sure.”
The left-hitting slugger was also able to show some versatility by playing the corner infield positions as well as left field, although he admits that was a part of his game that didn’t live up to his potential.
Lloyd was also able to do something he hadn’t done in a long time – play in front of his parents, Steve and Leslie.
On August 10, Leslie threw out the ceremonial first pitch in Springfield.
“That was a dream, honestly,” Lloyd said. “The stars kind of aligned for that with my parents in town. I floated the idea to the front office and they loved it.”
Leslie threw a strike and did a little dance coming off the mound, while her son couldn’t help but smile as they shared an embrace.
CAN ALMOST SMELL IT
Playing double-A baseball for a full season was also a reminder for Lloyd about how much of a grind it can be.
He says he’s grown mentally a lot over the last couple of years to fully understand what goes into it.
“There was a point in the season where I started to realize that every single at-bat matters, but in the same way, none of them matter,” Lloyd said.
“Just being able to handle the failure, handle the success and just try to be the same guy every day.”
The 6-foot, 205-pound utilityman says consistency is the name of the game, adding that for the first time, he’s convicted in a pre-game routine hitting-wise that worked well for him in 2024.
It’s been the cornerstone of his offseason training – along with adding more strength and speed – showing up every day to get a little bit better.
Lloyd doesn’t have any set-in-stone goals or expectations on where he will start the season, although it seems the logical choice would be the triple-A Memphis Redbirds.
From there, a stone’s throw to MLB.
“If I can stay on the field and just play my game, I think there’s no reason why I can’t be up there,” Lloyd said. “I like to think of it more as I want to help the team win and when we’re winning, guys are going up.”
While he wasn’t one of the 26 non-roster players invited to main spring training, Lloyd is determined not to let that keep him down for long.
After all he’s gone through over the last couple of years, it simply adds more fuel for him to hear his name in a Major League Baseball stadium soon.