Cardinals Hurler Among Top ESPN Columnist's 2025 Breakout Aces List

The St. Louis Cardinals could make significant changes to their pitching staff this summer but fortunately, they have several young hurlers' futures to be excited about.

With right-handed pitchers Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas and left-handed pitcher Steven Matz in their final contract year, the Cardinals could soon have three holes to fill in their rotation, especially if any of the three veterans are dealt before the July 31st trade deadline.

Luckily, St. Louis has a young southpaw making a name for himself as a starting pitcher this season and is quietly developing into a potential ace for the Cardinals' future.

"Continuing the theme of post-hype prospects is the 25-year-old (Matthew) Liberatore, who came into camp as an underdog to win a rotation spot after spending most of last year in the bullpen," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Wednesday after listing Liberatore as one of 2025's breakout aces. "He has rewarded the Cardinals with the lowest walk rate in baseball (two in 31 innings) and complemented it with only one home run allowed. With a six-pitch mix, Liberatore has cemented himself as a fixture for a Cardinals team in need of a reimagination."

Liberatore has logged a 2-2 record with a 3.19 ERA, 28-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .235 batting average against and a 0.97 WHIP in 31 innings pitched across five appearances for the Cardinals this season.

The former Tampa Bay Rays first-round draft pick was recently listed as this season's 10th-best left-handed starting pitcher, according to Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.

With 26-year-old Andre Pallante and Liberatore emerging as reliable starters for St. Louis, the Cardinals' rotation's future looks promising.

If pitching phenom Quinn Matthews and Cardinals 2021 first-round draft pick Michael McGreevy rise to expectations in the minors, St. Louis could soon have a young but fulfilled rotation led by three-time All-Star Sonny Gray, who is unlikely to leave before his contract expires after next season.