While the St. Louis Cardinals are entering a full fledged rebuild, they still need to craft a major league pitching rotation. Now, the team has revealed the five names who will fill those roles to start the season.
Left-hander Matthew Liberatore, alongside right-handers Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy will all be in the Opening Day rotation, via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The only question remaining is in what order.
Liberatore will be entering his fifth year with the Cardinals in 2026. Over 120 total games, he has put up a 4.63 ERA and a 272/111 K/BB ratio. On the flip side, May just joined St. Louis in free agency on a one-year contract. He split the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox in 2025, setting a new career-high with 123 strikeouts. However, May struggled to a 4.96 ERA overall.
McGreevy made 17 starts for the Cardinals in 2025, posting a 4.42 ERA and a 58/20 K/BB ratio. Only 25-years-old, the right-hander will be auditioning for a long-term spot in the rotation. As will Pallante after becoming a full-time starter in 2025. Over 31 starts, he held a 5.31 ERA and a 111/62 K/BB ratio.
Leahy will be making his own jump to the rotation in 2026. Over his 98 games at the major league level, only one has been a start. Still, Leahy impressed out of the bullpen in 2025, recording a 3.07 ERA and 80/28 K/BB ratio over 62 appearances.
Of the five options, Liberatore should earn the Opening Day start. Pallante has technically started more games than him over their four years in St. Louis. But Pallante is coming off of a tough campaign and is still making his transition to starting pitcher. Having him lead your rotation would be a gamble for the Cardinals, even in a rebuilding phase.
While his numbers may not pop on the surface, Liberatore did show improvement in 2025. His 4.21 ERA was a new career-best, as were his 122 strikeouts. With a career-high 151.2 innings pitched, the right-hander proved to be a durable asset as well.
Liberatore's upward momentum has carried over into spring training. Over three games, he holds a 2.70 ERA and a 14/1 K/BB ratio. While it's spring training, that's the type of production the Cardinals want to see from their potential Opening Day starter.
Overall, there may not be many wins coming St. Louis' way in 2026. However, they still want to get a good look at all of their pitching options. Chief among them is Liberatore, who will be looking to prove to the franchise that he is a pitcher to build around.
