Cardinals 28-Year-Old 'Most at Risk' in Starting Rotation Battle

The St. Louis Cardinals fortunately have a handful of options to consider for the starting rotation with roughly three weeks to go until Opening Day.

St. Louis isn't going to be scrapping things together. After all of the moves of the offseason, the Cardinals have more options to consider for the rotation than spots available. Right now, the guys to watch are Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy, Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins. Dobbins is still working his way up fully after having his 2025 season cut short after tearing his ACL. This list doesn't even include No. 7 prospect Quinn Mathews, who is very close to the majors himself.

The Cardinals are going to have difficult decisions to make as they put together this rotation for Opening Day and beyond. While projecting the potential Opening Day roster, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat noted that the early-season schedule is set up nicely for a six-man rotation if the team sees fit, while also saying Leahy is currently "most at risk" of his spot in the rotation going elsewhere.

Who will be in the rotation?

Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Richard Fitts, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante Injured list (1): Hunter Dobbins," Jones wrote. "The Cardinals play none of the first four Thursdays in a five-Thursday April, and their opening day start on March 26 is followed by the traditional Friday off day. That quirk in the schedule could allow for one of the cleanest possible transitions into a pure six-man rotation – each of the six gets his one scheduled day a week, rests and recovers on the others.

"That would be a bold approach to the first month of the season, but the Cardinals have shown strong commitment to protecting pitcher health. If one of this group of six is perhaps currently most at risk of his spot wobbling, it would seemingly be Leahy, who hasn’t seen his desired results from his first two spring starts. Fitts, on the other hand, popped eyeballs with an impressive appearance in Port St. Lucie that will validate the decision to find him more innings."

McGreevy, Liberatore and May currently seem like the only guarantees. Arguably, Fitts should be in the rotation as well. He boasts big-time stuff and came over in a trade with the Boston Red Sox this past offseason. Of the group, he could be someone towards the back of the rotation, but he has upside for more. Pallante struggled in the rotation in 2025, but has been solid in camp. Leahy was great in the bullpen in 2025 and has been stretched out as a rotation option. Arguably, one of these two should be in the Steven Matz role from 2025. He made spot starts when needed or would eat up multiple innings in the bullpen.

As long as Fitts is in the rotation, this idea arguably would make sense with either Leahy or Pallante.