Chris Michael Roycroft Bio
Chris Michael Roycroft is an American professional baseball pitcher who rose from independent league play to Major League Baseball. Roycroft made his MLB debut in 2024 after beginning his professional career with the Joliet Slammers in 2021 and advancing through the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Early Life and Background
Chris Michael Roycroft was born on June 21, 1997. He grew up in Illinois and attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, graduating in 2015, where he earned recognition as an all-area baseball player from the Daily Herald.
Following high school, Roycroft enrolled at Aurora University and played NCAA Division III baseball while also participating in college basketball. During his first three collegiate seasons he worked primarily as a reliever, recording nine saves before converting to a starting pitcher in 2019 and posting a 7–3 record with a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts.
Path to Baseball
Roycroft developed further through collegiate summer baseball in the Northwoods League, appearing for the Bismarck Larks in 2017 and 2018 and for the Green Bay Booyah in 2019. Those summer stints provided additional innings and exposure while he completed his college career as a two-way athlete at Aurora University.
After going undrafted in 2019, Roycroft continued to refine his pitching and gained a professional opportunity following an open tryout. A fastball that touched the high 90s at that tryout helped open the door to independent professional play.
Chris Michael Roycroft Career
Early Career (2015–2021)
Roycroft’s post-collegiate path began after his Auburn University tenure and the undrafted 2019 season, leading to a professional tryout that resulted in a contract in early 2021. On February 9, 2021, he signed his first professional contract with the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League after a tryout in which he recorded a fastball up to 97 miles per hour.
In his rookie professional season with Joliet, Roycroft made 26 appearances and finished with a 4–4 record, a 5.81 ERA and 62 strikeouts across 69 2/3 innings. The experience of a full independent-league season provided him with regular innings and a platform to improve command and secondary offerings.
Joliet Slammers and Frontier League (2021–2022)
Roycroft remained with the Joliet Slammers into 2022 and showed marked improvement in the first half of that season, recording a 1.08 ERA across 13 games. That stretch attracted attention from affiliated scouts and led to a minor league opportunity later that year.
On June 29, 2022, Roycroft signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and finished the year with the High-A Peoria Chiefs. In Peoria he posted a 4.50 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 32 innings across 19 appearances, marking his first work within a major league organization.
St. Louis Cardinals Breakthrough (2022–2026)
Roycroft began 2023 in the Cardinals system at Peoria and advanced twice during the season, reaching Double-A Springfield in early May and Triple-A Memphis in early July. Across three affiliates in 2023 he appeared in 46 games as a reliever, compiling a 7–8 record with a 5.86 ERA and 64 strikeouts across 63 innings.
Roycroft opened 2024 with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and on May 6, 2024, the Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the following night, striking out two batters in his first appearance and recording his first major league win on June 13, 2024, when he recorded the final two outs of the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Across his rookie MLB season Roycroft recorded a 1–2 record with a 4.19 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He continued to alternate between Memphis and St. Louis in subsequent seasons as the organization used him in relief roles while working to improve consistency at the major league level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Roycroft profiles as a power-velocity arm with a high-90s fastball that drew attention at his professional tryout. He has shown the ability to miss bats, as reflected by strikeout totals at multiple levels, and has worked to pair his fastball with complementary secondary pitches and improved command when stretched out as a starter in college.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Roycroft’s career include signing his first professional contract with the Joliet Slammers after a standout tryout in February 2021, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in June 2022, making his Major League debut in May 2024 and recording his first MLB win on June 13, 2024.
Chris Michael Roycroft Career Wins
Roycroft’s verified professional wins span his independent-league work and his early major league appearances. He recorded multiple decisions with the Joliet Slammers and registered his first major league victory in June 2024 while compiling additional wins at the minor league level.
Major League Highlights
In the major leagues Roycroft made his debut in May 2024 and notched his first MLB victory on June 13, 2024. Through mid-June 2026 his cumulative Major League record stood at two wins, with strikeout totals and earned run averages reflecting both his ability to generate swings-and-misses and periods of adjustment at the highest level.
Other Wins & Perfromances
At the independent level Roycroft finished his 2021 season with a 4–4 record and 62 strikeouts over nearly 70 innings for the Joliet Slammers. Early in 2022 he produced a 1.08 ERA in the first half for Joliet, which set the stage for his signing with the Cardinals and subsequent performances in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.
Chris Michael Roycroft Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Roycroft’s parents are Margaret and Don. He grew up with a brother, Corey, and two sisters, Jazmine and Makense, and his family background in Illinois supported his development through high school and collegiate athletics.
Personal Life
Roycroft is an alumnus of Willowbrook High School in Villa Park and of Aurora University, where he played both college baseball and college basketball. Public details beyond his immediate family and education are limited in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Roycroft used primarily in relief roles at the major league level and in Triple-A Memphis. He made 20 relief appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025, recording a 1–3 record with a 7.84 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings, while also making significant appearances for Memphis, where he went 3–2 with a 4.82 ERA across 46 2/3 innings.
Those mixed results reflected a pitcher who continued to generate swings-and-misses at times but who also faced challenges in limiting hard contact and runs consistently. The 2025 season functioned as additional development time within the Cardinals system as Roycroft sought to refine his command and pitch mix in hopes of establishing a longer-term role at the major league level.