Chris Roycroft Bio
Chris Michael Roycroft is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on June 21, 1997, he made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 after a professional career that began in the independent Frontier League. A former All Area selection in high school, Roycroft has progressed steadily through the minor leagues and onto a Major League roster, drawing attention for his fastball and his development from a college reliever into a starting pitcher.
Early Life and Background
Chris Michael Roycroft grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, graduating in 2015. At Willowbrook, he emerged as a standout baseball player and was recognized as an All Area performer by the Daily Herald for his work on the mound. That recognition helped establish him as one of the more closely watched amateur arms in the area during his high school years.
After high school, Roycroft continued his baseball career at Aurora University, where he played NCAA Division III college baseball and also competed on the college basketball team. During his first three collegiate seasons he served primarily as a reliever, accumulating nine saves. In 2019, the program transitioned him into the starting rotation, and he responded by going 7-3 with a 2.95 earned run average across 11 starts, a performance that hinted at the pro potential the St. Louis Cardinals would later bet on.
Path to Baseball
Roycroft’s path to professional baseball ran through the Northwoods League, a prominent collegiate summer circuit. He spent the 2017 and 2018 summers with the Bismarck Larks and returned to the league in 2019 with the Green Bay Booyah, gaining valuable innings against advanced wooden-bat competition. Following his senior year at Aurora, he went undrafted in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.
He returned to independent baseball in 2021, signing with the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League on February 9, 2021, after a tryout in which he reportedly threw a 97 mile per hour fastball. He made 26 appearances for Joliet that season, posting a 4-4 record with a 5.81 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 69 and two-thirds innings. He opened the 2022 Frontier League season strongly, recording a 1.08 earned run average across 13 games for the Slammers in the first half, a stretch that attracted the attention of Major League scouts and led to his next opportunity.
Chris Roycroft Career
Early Career (2019-2022)
Roycroft’s earliest professional chapter began in the independent ranks, where he learned to handle the workload and intensity of a long professional season. His 2021 campaign with the Joliet Slammers was a trial by fire, as he adjusted to professional hitters while refining his command. The leap in performance during the first half of 2022, when he posted a 1.08 ERA over 13 appearances, marked the turning point that pushed him toward affiliated baseball.
On June 29, 2022, Roycroft signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and was assigned to the High-A Peoria Chiefs. He finished that year with a 4.50 earned run average, 40 strikeouts, and 32 innings pitched across 19 appearances, giving the Cardinals organization a longer look at a pitcher whose velocity had caught the eye of their scouting staff.
St. Louis Cardinals Breakthrough (2023-2024)
Roycroft opened the 2023 season back at Peoria and earned two promotions during the year, advancing to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in early May and to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in early July. Working primarily as a reliever across the three affiliates, he went 7-8 with a 5.86 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 63 innings, a workload that allowed him to gain experience at every level of the Cardinals’ developmental system.
He returned to Memphis to begin the 2024 season, and on May 6, 2024, the Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the Major Leagues. He made his MLB debut the following night, striking out two batters but allowing a line drive home run to Pete Alonso. He continued to appear out of the bullpen through the summer, and on June 13, 2024, he recorded his first Major League win by getting the final two outs of the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Roycroft finished his rookie season with a 1-2 record, a 4.19 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 34 and one-third innings pitched.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2022-Present)
Since signing with St. Louis in mid-2022, Roycroft has climbed the organizational ladder from High-A Peoria to Triple-A Memphis and onto the Major League roster. His rise has been built on a heavy fastball and an evolving secondary mix, and the organization has continued to develop him primarily as a reliever. The 2024 promotion to the 40-man roster and his subsequent debut reflected the Cardinals’ belief that he could contribute at the highest level.
Going forward, Roycroft is expected to compete for a role in the St. Louis bullpen, with the organization likely to monitor his workload and refine his secondary offerings. His first Major League win and the steadiness of his rookie innings provided a foundation for him to build on as he continues to establish himself in the Cardinals’ pitching plans.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Roycroft’s early career, his first Major League debut on May 7, 2024, stands out, as does his first Major League win on June 13, 2024, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Earlier milestones include his college conversion to a starting role in 2019 and his tryout fastball of 97 miles per hour that earned him a contract with the Joliet Slammers in 2021.
Chris Roycroft Career Wins
Across his professional career, Roycroft has collected wins at the collegiate, independent, minor league, and Major League levels, reflecting his steady climb through the sport. His most notable victory to date came on June 13, 2024, when he secured his first Major League win by retiring the final two batters of the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
St. Louis Cardinals Highlights
During his time in the St. Louis Cardinals system, Roycroft has combined for wins across High-A Peoria, Double-A Springfield, and Triple-A Memphis. His 2023 minor league season included seven wins across 46 relief appearances for the three affiliates, and he added a Major League win in 2024 to round out his rookie campaign.
Chris Roycroft Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Roycroft is the son of Don and Margaret Roycroft. He grew up alongside a brother, Corey, and sisters, Jazmine and Makense, in a family that supported his early athletic development. His time at Willowbrook High School and later at Aurora University reflected the strong athletic background that shaped his path into professional baseball.
Roycroft’s personal life has remained largely outside the spotlight as he focuses on his Major League career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He continues to be identified with the suburban Chicago community that produced him, and his family’s support has remained a steady presence through his progression from independent ball to the Major Leagues.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Roycroft is positioned to compete for a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen after a rookie year that included a 1-2 record, a 4.19 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 34 and one-third innings. The Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster during the 2024 season, a move that suggested he remained part of the organization’s long-term pitching plans.
Roycroft’s spring performance and early regular-season outings will likely determine whether he opens the year in the Major League bullpen or at Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals’ emphasis on reliever development and his experience at all three upper minor league levels give the club flexibility in how they deploy him throughout 2025.
With his fastball velocity and his growing comfort against Major League hitters, Roycroft has the tools to expand his role over the course of the 2025 season. Continued improvement in his secondary pitches and command could allow him to handle higher-leverage innings as the Cardinals look to identify reliable late-inning options for the future.