Cardinals Pitcher Report: Hits, Misses and Concern Index 4 Games Into the Season

The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation is going to be something to watch all season this year.

The Cardinals will complete their first cycle through the rotation on Tuesday night with Andre Pallante taking the mound. Heading into the season, the Cardinals' rotation arguably looked like an under-the-radar strength for the organization.

It's no secret that the last three seasons weren't great for St. Louis or up to the organization's standards. The Cardinals were great in 2022 and went 93-69 while winning the National League Central. Things fell apart afterward, though. In 2023, the Cardinals went 71-91. In 2024, the Cardinals went 83-79. In 2025, the Cardinals went 78-84. The biggest weakness for the organization over the last three years was the starting rotation.

St. Louis' rotation was ranked No. 26 in the league in 2023 with a 5.08 ERA. In 2024, the Cardinals were 20th in the league with a 4.33 rotation ERA. In 2025, the Cardinals were 25th in the league with a 4.67 rotation ERA. Throughout the offseason, the Cardinals added pitching prospects left in right by trading veterans away. The Cardinals also signed Dustin May. St. Louis has quickly gone from being a team with very little organizational rotation depth to one with enough hurlers that they had to make tough decisions, like sending Richard Fitts down to Triple-A. Hunter Dobbins is set to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday as well. Soon enough, he will be another rotation option to consider.

Right now, the rotation is Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, May, Kyle Leahy and Pallante.

So far, there have been a few takeaways from the rotation.

HITS

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Liberatore and McGreevy have both been massive hits for the Cardinals so far this season. Liberatore is just 26 years old and got the start for the Cardinals on Opening Day. He pitched five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed one earned run and struck out two. McGreevy followed up with an even better performance in the second game of the season.

McGreevy pitched six no-hit innings against the Rays and struck out five batters and walked two batters. You couldn't ask for a better performance than what McGreevy put together for St. Louis to kick off the season.

MISSES

Mar 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Both May and Leahy struggled in their first starts of the season for St. Louis. May pitched four innings against the Rays and allowed 10 base hits, six earned runs and struck out just three while earning the loss.

Leahy pitched five innings against the New York Mets on Monday and allowed four earned runs and struck out just one batter while walking two.

Concern Index

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

3 out of 10

It's too early to have any real concern. Neither May nor Leahy were great in their first start of the season, but they showed enough in Spring Training to assume they will bounce back. After three or four times through the rotation, we can check back in on this.