On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals saw something out of left-hander Matthew Liberatore that they hadn’t all season.
The 23-year-old flashed his full potential when he pitched eight scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.
He came over to St. Louis in the Randy Arozarena trade, which is still widely considered to be a steal on behalf of the Rays.
However, the young lefty dominated the team that drafted him and gave the Cardinals a look at what he could be going forward.
On Friday, former Cardinals slugger and outfielder Matt Holliday discussed Liberatore’s dominance and whether or not he thinks the left-hander can crack the team’s rotation next year.
Does Matt Holliday believe Matthew Liberatore can crack the #STLCards starting rotation in the future?
Hanging with Holliday is presented by Air Alliance Team!
Full interview: https://t.co/xKcamRJVhj pic.twitter.com/M9qoy8Ibld
— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) August 12, 2023
Holliday believes Liberatore has the tools to be a successful Major League starter and that at a certain point, it becomes a matter of his mind matching up with his abilities.
The former Cardinals slugger says he believes consistency is what has plagued Liberatore for much of the season, but that it will be a major factor for him going forward as he continues to develop.
Holliday also says that having veterans such as Adam Wainwright around is helpful for young pitchers.
Liberatore has struggled in most of his outings this season, but may have turned a corner on Thursday.
The Cardinals legend discussed the difference between a “situational lefty” and a true starter, and once again preached that consistency is going to be the key for Liberatore going forward as he looks to establish himself as a big-league starter.
NEXT: Cardinals Manager Discusses The Struggles Of A Team Legend