St. Louis Cardinals: Early Spring Returns on Pitching

Matthew Liberatore

Lib’s first outing did not go to plan. While he threw well overall, he was the victim of some tough-luck with squibs and bloops dropping in for hits. Coming over from the Rays in the Jose Martinez trade, Liberatore’s upside is huge.

Drafted in the 1st round in 2018, the left-hander actually grew up playing with Nolan Gorman. The two are close friends and are rooming together this spring. It’s a rather cool story, in all actuality.

In 2019, Liberatore pitched in Class-A with Tampa, throwing 78.1 innings with a 3.10 ERA, while also walking 31. Lib has above-average tools across the board, pointing to his massive potential. He has a four-pitch mix, where all four will chart out as at least above average. His curveball is the best, with the potential to be a dominant major league pitch.

This spring, Liberatore has pitched twice with two polar opposite results. His first outing, like I previously mentioned, was plagued by bad luck. His second outing, however, resulted in a clean inning along with a strikeout. It’s hard to watch this guy pitch and not be excited about what’s to come.

Long story short, there are many reasons to be excited about the future of the St. Louis Cardinal’s pitching staff. The most exciting thing, to me, is the presence of so many talented left-handers in our system.

The Cardinals have not had a consistent left-handed starter since Jaime Garcia, way back in 2016. Now, Austin Gomber, Genesis Cabrera, Matthew Liberatore, and Zach Thompson all are showing the potential of a major league starter.

The youth of this pitching staff will be a strength in the long run, providing depth and energy during the dog days of August. The season can be a tough grind from time to time, and fresh faces help to relieve the boredom in the clubhouse.

Many of the players mentioned in this article will make major league appearances at one point or another in 2020. Some may have the same effect that Giovanny Gallegos had on the 2019 season. These pitchers are the future, and the future is bright.