This pitcher has a goal of starting Opening Day for the Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have been treading water over the past few seasons, and the state of their starting pitching staff reflects that. The top of the rotation is wide-open, what with Sonny Gray headed to the Boston Red Sox on a blockbuster trade this past offseason. It’s evident that the Cardinals are headed towards more of a youth movement, although it remains to be seen who will manage to step up among members of their pitching staff.

But one young pitcher of theirs in Matthew Liberatore is not lacking in confidence whatsoever. In fact, one of Liberatore’s goals is to be the Cardinals’ starting pitcher on Opening Night.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I want [that Opening Day starting role],” Liberatore said in an appearance on the Cardinal Territory podcast.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I want it."

Matthew Liberatore is doing everything he can to be the Opening Day starter for the Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/0IqdCFG46U

— Cardinal Territory (@CardTerritory) January 8, 2026

The lefty became a full-time starter for the first time in 2025 and showed flashes of being a mainstay for the Cardinals. Liberatore works best as a deceptive pitcher who can induce weak contact, as his stuff isn’t exactly top of the line.

However, he’s only 26 years of age. The 4.21 ERA he posted in 2025 could improve, and it should if he wants to become the ace of this new-look Cardinals starting rotation.

Can young Cardinals break through in 2026?

The Cardinals finished last season with a 78-84 record, and they’ve seemingly gotten worse over the offseason with the departures of Gray and Willson Contreras, both to the Boston Red Sox.

The front office is gambling on their youth to step up; all projected position players and starting pitchers of the Cardinals, other than third baseman Nolan Arenado, are younger than 30 years of age. They are betting that those players, especially star-in-the-making Masyn Winn, will be taking the next step in their respective developments.

They are certainly banking on major internal improvements from the starting pitching rotation, as Liberatore is standing out as their best option.

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