{"id":143234,"date":"2026-01-21T16:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:35:12","slug":"cardinals-pitching-plans-shift-as-young-arms-gain-unexpected-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234","title":{"rendered":"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

As the Cardinals head into 2026, the spotlight isn’t just on wins and losses – it’s on opportunity. St.<\/p>\n

Louis has a trio of young arms who are all vying for meaningful innings, and how the club chooses to distribute those chances could shape the future of the rotation for years to come. Let\u2019s break down where things stand with three of the most intriguing names in the Cardinals\u2019 pitching mix.<\/p>\n

\n

Matthew Liberatore: Still a Work in Progress or Trade Chip in Waiting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Matthew Liberatore has long been viewed as a potential cornerstone of the Cardinals\u2019 rotation – a lefty with legit velocity and a breaking ball that can buckle knees. But the question remains: has he done enough to be penciled in as a long-term piece?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the good. Liberatore\u2019s raw stuff can be eye-catching.<\/p>\n

A fastball that touches 97 mph, a sharp slider, and a curveball with serious vertical drop – it\u2019s the kind of arsenal that makes scouts sit up in their seats. And sure, when you’re comparing him to the likes of Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, or Andre Pallante, it\u2019s easy to get caught up in the upside.<\/p>\n

But the results? They\u2019ve been more grounded.<\/p>\n

Liberatore wrapped up last season with a 4.21 ERA and an ERA+ of 97 – just a tick below league average. That\u2019s serviceable for a fifth starter, but far from the ace ceiling that was once projected for him.<\/p>\n

The flashes have been there, but consistency has not.<\/p>\n

\"Cardinals<\/p>\n

The Cardinals still have team control over Liberatore through 2030, which gives them flexibility. That kind of control adds value – either as a developmental project or as a trade asset.<\/p>\n

Right now, it feels like the latter might be more likely. There\u2019s talent here, no doubt, but if the Cardinals are serious about competing in the near term, they\u2019ll need to decide whether Liberatore is part of the solution or a piece to help acquire one.<\/p>\n

\n

Hunter Dobbins: Under-the-Radar Arm with Mid-Rotation Potential<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hunter Dobbins might not be a household name just yet, but the 25-year-old right-hander has quietly put together a profile that suggests there\u2019s more in the tank.<\/p>\n

Through 61 big-league innings, Dobbins owns a 4.13 ERA and an ERA+ of 100 – exactly league average. But dig a little deeper, and there\u2019s reason to believe he could be more than just a depth arm. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) sits at 3.87, and he\u2019s shown a knack for doing the little things right: limiting walks, inducing ground balls, and avoiding barrels.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s missing? Strikeouts.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s game, where power pitching rules the mound, Dobbins hasn\u2019t yet turned his velocity into swing-and-miss stuff. The tools are there – he throws hard enough – but he\u2019s still learning how to turn that heat into a weapon that gets hitters to chase or whiff.<\/p>\n

If the Cardinals can help him unlock that next gear, Dobbins could settle in as a reliable No. 2 or No. 3 starter. He\u2019s not flashy, but he\u2019s efficient – and that\u2019s a valuable commodity in a rotation that\u2019s still searching for stability.<\/p>\n

\n

Kyle Leahy: The Breakout Bullpen Arm Who Deserves a Rotation Look<\/strong><\/p>\n

At 28, Kyle Leahy might not have the same prospect shine as some of the younger names on this list, but make no mistake – he\u2019s earned a shot.<\/p>\n

Leahy is coming off a breakout season in 2025, where he posted a 3.07 ERA across 88 innings. He\u2019s worked out of the bullpen, but with the way he\u2019s thrown, it\u2019s no surprise that FanGraphs currently projects him for a spot in the 2026 rotation.<\/p>\n

Now, there are some signs of potential regression – his expected ERA (xERA) sits at 4.45 – but the underlying tools are compelling. Leahy\u2019s elite extension ranks in the 96th percentile, meaning hitters are seeing his pitches later than most. Combine that with a 6\u20195\u201d, 225-pound frame and a breaking ball with a run value that placed him in the 93rd percentile, and you\u2019ve got a pitcher who\u2019s tough to square up.<\/p>\n

His pitch mix is deep, and he\u2019s shown the ability to command multiple offerings. That gives him a chance to not just survive, but thrive, as a starter. If the Cardinals are serious about letting their young arms compete for rotation spots, Leahy should be near the front of the line.<\/p>\n

\n

The Big Picture in St. Louis<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cardinals are at a crossroads with their pitching staff. They\u2019ve got a mix of veterans and unproven arms, but 2026 could be the season they finally let the kids take the wheel. Liberatore, Dobbins, and Leahy each bring something different to the table – upside, efficiency, and momentum – and how the team allocates innings will say a lot about their direction moving forward.<\/p>\n

Do they ride with the guys who have shown flashes and trust the development process? Or do they leverage that promise in the trade market to bring in more established help?<\/p>\n

One thing\u2019s clear: opportunity is knocking. Now it\u2019s on the Cardinals to decide who\u2019s ready to answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":143235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234\",\"name\":\"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\",\"name\":\"XuanTan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"XuanTan\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA","og_description":"IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images...","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"XuanTan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"XuanTan","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234","name":"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-21T16:35:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-7-5.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=143234#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cardinals Pitching Plans Shift as Young Arms Gain Unexpected Spotlight"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06","name":"XuanTan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"XuanTan"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=143234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143236,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143234\/revisions\/143236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/143235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=143234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=143234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=143234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}