Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Richard Fitts (35) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Cardinals Prediction Pumps Brakes on 26-Year-Old Flamethrower

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 8:23 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation has some question marks with under a month to go until Opening Day.

When it comes to the rotation, the questions aren't centered around injuries or even a lack of starters. Instead, the Cardinals seemingly have a surplus of talented arms and not enough spots to go around. That's going to happen when you spend the offseason adding hurlers left and right, which was for the best. The Cardinals' seemingly guaranteed starters are Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May. After that, it's anyone's guess who will be in the rotation among Kyle Leahy, Richard Fitts, Andre Pallante and then Hunter Dobbins when he's fully healthy. On top of that, the Cardinals have intriguing prospects to watch, like Quinn Matthews.

All of this is to say, there are decisions to be made over the next few weeks. Leahy seems like a safe bet, although nothing is guaranteed. Arguably, Fitts should get the No. 5 spot in that case if Leahy gets the No. 4 job. But MLB.com's Will Leitch shared a roster projection and predicted that Pallante will be in the Opening Day rotation.

Who will make the cut?

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"Rotation (5): Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante," Leitch wrote. "There has been some speculation that the Cardinals may experiment with a six-man rotation, but all told, you get the sense there’s going to be a lot of pitching experimentation with the Cardinals over the next few years. Liberatore’s and May’s slots are locked in, and Leahy looked good enough in his first spring start to have an open lane for another spot.

"Pallante took a big step back from 2024 to ’25, so while he may get another shot in this rotation year, his leash is probably short. That may be true of McGreevy as well. The nice thing is that, for the first time in a while, the Cardinals have a few options they can try out, from Richard Fitts (who looked good on Wednesday) and Hunter Dobbins, two pitchers who came over in trades from Boston, as well as faded hot prospect Quinn Mathews. It is certainly possible that Fitts and Dobbins are in the slots of Pallante and McGreevy, and Cardinals fans looking to turn the page to the new Bloom era may well be cheering for that. This early in the spring, though, I’ll play it safe and go with the two guys who were already here."

The idea of McGreevy not being in the Opening Day rotation seems very, very unlikely. If any one of this five-man group won't make the cut, it will be Pallante.

There are a few weeks to decide, but this is the biggest big league position battle to watch.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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