Chris Roycroft Bio
Chris Michael Roycroft (born June 21, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher who has pitched in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 after launching his professional career with the Joliet Slammers in 2021. After working as a reliever early in his career, he transitioned into a starting role and has continued to develop as he gained experience at higher levels of the minor leagues.
Roycroft attended Willowbrook High School, where he gained recognition as an all-area baseball player, and later played collegiate baseball at Aurora University. He has since progressed through multiple levels of professional baseball, reaching the highest level of the sport with the Cardinals. He continues to be regarded as a developing arm within the organization.
Early Life and Background
Chris Michael Roycroft was born on June 21, 1997, and grew up in the United States. He attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, graduating in 2015. While in high school, he was named an All-Area baseball player by the Daily Herald, an early signal of the arm strength that would later define his professional trajectory.
Beyond baseball, Roycroft also played basketball during his formative years, reflecting the all-around athletic profile that marked his youth. His parents are Margaret and Don, and he has a brother, Corey, and sisters, Jazmine and Makense. This family setting provided the foundation for his later move into competitive collegiate and professional sports.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Roycroft attended Aurora University, where he played NCAA Division III college baseball and also continued his basketball career. He spent his first three collegiate seasons working as a reliever, recording nine saves. In 2019, he converted to a starting pitcher and went 7-3 with a 2.95 earned run average across 11 starts, a performance that highlighted his readiness for professional baseball.
During the summers of 2017, 2018, and 2019, Roycroft played collegiate summer baseball in the Northwoods League. He spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Bismarck Larks and the 2019 season with the Green Bay Booyah, gaining valuable experience against high-level competition. He went unselected in the 2019 MLB Draft but did not give up on his professional aspirations.
Chris Roycroft Career
Early Career (2021-2022)
On February 9, 2021, Roycroft signed his first professional contract with the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League after attending a tryout where he reportedly threw a 97 mile per hour fastball. He made 26 appearances for Joliet in 2021, posting a 4-4 record with a 5.81 earned run average and 62 strikeouts across 69 and two-thirds innings pitched.
Roycroft improved noticeably the following season, recording a 1.08 earned run average across 13 games for the Slammers in the first half of 2022. On June 29, 2022, he signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished that year with the High-A Peoria Chiefs, where he posted a 4.50 earned run average with 40 strikeouts across 19 appearances.
St. Louis Cardinals Breakthrough (2023-2024)
Roycroft began the 2023 season with Peoria and earned two promotions during the year, advancing to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in early May and the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in early July. Across 46 relief appearances with the three affiliates, he posted a 7-8 record with a 5.86 earned run average and 64 strikeouts in 63 innings, building the resume that would earn him a major league opportunity.
Roycroft opened the 2024 season with Memphis and was added to the 40-man roster on May 6, 2024, before being promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the following night, striking out two batters but allowing a line drive home run to Pete Alonso. He won his first MLB game on June 13 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, recording the final two outs in the sixth inning. He finished his rookie season with a 1-2 record, a 4.19 earned run average and 33 strikeouts across 34 and one-third innings.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2024-2026)
In 2025, Roycroft made 20 relief appearances for the Cardinals, posting a 1-3 record with a 7.84 earned run average and 15 strikeouts across 20 and two-thirds innings. He also pitched for Memphis during the season, going 3-2 with a 4.82 earned run average over 46 and two-thirds innings, working to refine his command and consistency at the upper levels of the minors.
Roycroft appeared in seven games for the Cardinals in 2026 and posted a 15.19 earned run average across 5 and one-third innings. On June 18, 2026, he was designated for assignment by the Cardinals. Through that portion of his MLB career, his cumulative line showed a 2-5 win-loss record, a 6.41 earned run average and 52 strikeouts.
Driving Style and Strengths
Roycroft is best known for a power profile built around a fastball that has been clocked in the upper-90s during tryouts. His development path has moved between the bullpen and the rotation, giving him experience in short stints as well as multi-inning outings. He has continued to refine his secondary offerings and his command as he has moved through higher levels of professional baseball.
Notable Events and Milestones
Roycroft’s MLB debut on May 7, 2024, marked the culmination of a long journey from undrafted college pitcher to the highest level of professional baseball. His first MLB win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 13, 2024, was another defining moment of his rookie year. The fastball he threw during his Joliet tryout in 2021 remains one of the most memorable early chapters of his career.
Chris Roycroft Career Wins
Roycroft has accumulated wins across the collegiate level, independent baseball, the minor leagues and Major League Baseball. His most significant victory came on June 13, 2024, when he earned his first MLB win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has also posted winning decisions in the Frontier League, in the Cardinals minor league system and during his standout 2019 season at Aurora University.
St. Louis Cardinals Highlights
Roycroft’s time with the Cardinals has included both major league appearances and extended minor league assignments. His first MLB win in 2024 and his continued presence on the 40-man roster in 2025 marked the high points of that period. He also recorded three wins at Memphis during the 2025 season.
Other Wins and Performances
At Aurora University, Roycroft went 7-3 as a starter in 2019, one of the strongest seasons of his amateur career. With the Joliet Slammers in 2021, he went 4-4, and across the Cardinals affiliates in 2023, he posted a 7-8 record while earning two midseason promotions.
Chris Roycroft Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Roycroft comes from a close-knit family that supported his athletic development from an early age. His parents are Margaret and Don, and he has a brother, Corey, as well as sisters Jazmine and Makense. The family environment helped shape the discipline required to pursue baseball at higher levels.
Personal Life
Roycroft has continued to focus on his baseball career while maintaining ties to his family in the United States. Public details about his personal relationships have not been widely documented, and he has generally kept his off-field life private. His social media presence offers limited additional insight into his personal affairs.
2025 Season Performance
Roycroft spent the 2025 season splitting time between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. With the Cardinals, he appeared in 20 relief outings, recording a 1-3 record, a 7.84 earned run average and 15 strikeouts across 20 and two-thirds innings. His major league opportunities were intermittent as the organization continued to evaluate his role within the bullpen.
At Memphis, Roycroft went 3-2 with a 4.82 earned run average across 46 and two-thirds innings, providing more consistent results than at the major league level. The contrast between his Triple-A production and his big league numbers became a central storyline of his 2025 campaign. The Cardinals used the season to gauge his readiness for a larger major league role.
Heading into the next phase of his career, Roycroft remained a developing arm whose power fastball continued to draw attention. His progression through the Cardinals system suggested that future opportunities would depend on improving his command and his results against major league hitters.