Young pitcher Matthew Liberatore demonstrates potential success for St. Louis Cardinals' youth development strategy.
Hey there! Let's chat about the up-and-coming pitcher making waves in St. Louis - Matthew Liberatore!
Originally, names like Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson were all set to shine this season. But it wasn't until late Spring Training that Liberatore's name popped up.
You see, Liberatore, who'd been a starting prospect, was thrust into various roles in the majors. He shone particularly bright as a reliever before 2025. I thought he'd be better off staying there, considering he was one of the club's top relievers last year. With the departure of Andrew Kittredge and the potential regression from JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez, keeping Liberatore as a dependable reliever seemed like a smart move.
But the powers-that-be had other ideas. John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations, and Oliver Marmol, the manager, decided to give Liberatore an extended run as a starting pitcher. At first, I hesitated. I believed his greatest value lay in the bullpen. Oh, boy, was I proven wrong!
"But Liberatore, when you tell someone to work on something and they come back as focused and effective as he has been? He deserves that opportunity, and I wanted him to head to St. Louis knowing he's a starter, not worrying about being shuttled back and forth," said Marmol. "This isn't some temporary gig. He's starting. Don't be looking over your shoulder, just focus on being a starter, and we'll assess things as we go."
Matthew Liberatore: the man charged with turning the St. Louis Cardinals' youth movement on its head.
Five starts into the season, Liberatore boasts a 2-2 record with a 3.19 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He's whiffed 28 batters in 31 innings, and he's walked only two all season long. His 14/1 K/BB ratio ranks second among all qualified pitchers in baseball. In short, he's been the Cardinals' best starting pitcher this year!
Liberatore has delivered at least six innings in every start so far. He's allowed more than three runs in only one start, and batters are hitting just .235 against him. His slider is generating whiffs at a 36.7% rate, and he's made significant improvements to his cutter. He's added almost two inches of glove-side movement to it, while decreasing its vertical break to make it a more straight pitch.
It's been six years since the Cardinals could boast a homegrown starter with real potential. Jack Flaherty was the last one who managed to get the rotation grooving back in the day. Guys like Dakota Hudson and Jake Woodford couldn't cut it for the team. Andre Pallante has been successful since his reboot as a starter last year, but he's not the top-tier arm the Cardinals need right now.
With a clear path to success this season, Matthew Liberatore could be the answer to the Cardinals' rotation prayers. If he can establish himself as a reliable starter, Liberatore not only justifies John Mozeliak's trade for him back in 2020, but he also prepares Chaim Bloom's future rotation.
Despite not being technically homegrown, thanks to a trade with the Rays, Liberatore embodies the promise of the Cardinals' youth movement. It's time to watch him burn bright in the heart of the St. Louis rotation!
- The Cardinals' decision to shift Matthew Liberatore from the bullpen to a starting role is proving to be a smart move, given his impressive performance as a starter this season.
- With a 2-2 record, a 3.19 ERA, and a 0.97 WHIP, Liberatore has demonstrated that he is the Cardinals' top starting pitcher so far this year.
- Liberatore's exceptional performance is evident in his 14/1 K/BB ratio, which ranks second among all qualified pitchers in baseball.
- Matthew Liberatore's exceptional performance as a starter for the Cardinals could make him the key to filling the rotation's long-standing need for a reliable and top-tier starting pitcher.
