Inside Look at Matthew Liberatore After Cardinals Opening Day Announcement

It was expected and the St. Louis Cardinals confirmed on Wednesday, Matthew Liberatore will take the mound for the club on Opening Day on March 26 at Busch Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"Libby gets the ball in St. Louis," the Cardinals announced. "Matthew Liberatore is our 2026 Opening Day starter!"

Libby gets the ball in St. Louis!

Matthew Liberatore is our 2026 Opening Day starter! pic.twitter.com/yiKgDI8W5P
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 18, 2026

The Cardinals made the announcement

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (left) thanks catcher Andy Yerzy (right) after a bullpen session during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Liberatore picks up the mantle left by Sonny Gray, who was traded this past offseason to the Boston Red Sox. What a run it has been for the young lefty as well. At this point last year, it wasn't even guaranteed that he was going to be in the club's Opening Day starting rotation. The 26-year-old former first-round pick made his big league debut with St. Louis in 2022 and bounced around between the bullpen and starting rotation in his first three seasons in the big leagues. As a rookie, Liberatore appeared in nine games overall, including seven starts, and logged a 5.97 ERA.

In 2023, he made 22 appearances in the majors, including 11 starts, and logged a 5.25 ERA. He really started to find his stride in 2024 and logged a 4.40 ERA in 60 total appearances, including six starts. He also finished out eight games that season, so it really was a roller coaster of a role for him. In 2025, though, he settled into the starting rotation and had the best season of his career to this point. He had a 4.21 ERA across 151 2/3 innings of work. Liberatore struck out 122 batters and walked just 40.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals announced that Richard Fitts was optioned down to minor league camp, leaving the Cardinals' rotation with Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Dustin May, Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy. There's a lot of potential, and question marks here.

May has the top-of-the-rotation stuff when healthy, but can he stay healthy throughout an entire season? Can Leahy transition to the starting rotation? Can Pallante bounce back? Can McGreevy and Liberatore take steps forward? We'll see. For Liberatore, that question will start to get answered on Opening Day in just over one week.