Cardinals' playing time meet and greet: Pitchers edition part two

In this continuation of the Cardinals’ playing time meet and greet, decisions on young pitchers continue to stockpile in St. Louis. Time's ticking; let's get a move on! 

1. Matthew Liberatore

Our savior! The new ace and face of the Redbird rotation! Now, let me ask you, what has Matthew Liberatore done to earn his keep? 

He’s like the golden boy of a flawed system that built its reputation on shortcomings and misjudgments. Did Liberatore have a competent 2025 season? Yes. Did he earn the right to an extension or unlimited runway going forward? Not even CLOSE. 

I think the stigma that orbits the young lefty derives from his at-times flashy stuff and a bit of ugly girl syndrome. When you watch Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, and Andre Pallante, it can be hard not to foam at the mouth when you see a lefty touching 97mph with a sharp slider and a hook that looks like it may touch the sky before it plummets into the strike zone. 

Now, let me welcome you back to reality. Liberatore finished last season with a 4.21 ERA (acceptable from a fifth starter) and an ERA+ of 97 (3% below league average). The best we’ve seen of the southpaw to this point was BELOW league average. 

Liberatore, to me, seems like MacKenzie Gore lite. He doesn’t have the same kind of ace potential, but there is unrealized production somewhere in there. Liberatore doesn’t hit free agency until 2030, and the sheer amount of team control he holds brings value to any team he may join. 

At this point in his Cardinals tenure, he seems more valuable as trade bait than as a building block.

2. Hunter Dobbins

Another addition to the Cardinal cohort of pitchers this offseason was fiery right-hander Hunter Dobbins. 

He has been a rather consistent big-leaguer so far, holding a 4.13 ERA and an ERA+ of exactly 100 through 61 innings. Surface-level numbers are mediocre, but the underlying data suggest that Dobbins may have more in the tank. Dobbins’ FIP sits at 3.87 through his big league career, and he excels at limiting walks, staying off the barrel, and keeping the ball on the ground. 

All that’s missing from the righty's baseball repository is the art of the strikeout. Modern baseball has rooted its pitching identity in strikeouts and velocity. Dobbins has the velocity to have success; he just needs to weaponize it to the best of his ability to induce more whiffs and more chase.

If the Cardinals have a plan for the young hurler headed into 2026, I’m excited to see what it is and how it pans out. Dobbins has the upside to be the Cardinals' second or third starter for years to come, and he should be given every opportunity to prove himself.

3. Kyle Leahy

Leahy, 28, is coming off a career year where he pitched to a 3.07 ERA in 88 innings. The right-hander has now seen time out of the St. Louis bullpen and has been entertained as an option in the rotation. 

Currently, FanGraphs has Leahy projected in the Cardinal rotation for 2026, and it makes sense. Leahy’s expected stats hint at possible regression (4.45 xERA), but he has a lot of different tools. Firstly, his extension on pitches resides in the 96th percentile. When a 6’5, 225lb hurler is coming at you with elite extension, all his pitches play far above their actual velocity. 

Leahy also had a breaking ball run value of 9, which kept him in the 93rd percentile across the league. His pitch mix is well above average, and he has command over a multitude of pitches to slice and dice big-league hitters.

If St. Louis is looking for a young pitcher who needs a shot in 2026, this is their guy. Leahy has done more than enough to warrant a chance at holding a spot in the rotation, and if he does get his opportunity, don’t be surprised when he performs. 

As the Redbirds gear up for a 2026 season with a collection of young pitchers looking towards one word: opportunity, how will St. Louis distribute playing time to make sure they get a good look at all their newfound talent?