It’s no secret that over the past several years, the St. Louis Cardinals have had more than their fair share of pitching woes, especially with the starting rotation.
Their current rotation ranks dead last in the National League with a 7.14 ERA after none of their five starters recorded a quality start through the first six games of the season.
As a result, the Cardinals are headed to face Milwaukee Brewers with a 2-4 record and sit at the bottom of the NL Central.
But there’s no need to panic just yet.
Despite not adding an arm, there are several arms within the system who appear to be ready to make some noise, including left-hander Matthew Liberatore.
Liberatore had a strong outing at Triple-A Memphis on Thursday night, striking out seven and allowing just three hits and two walks over five shutout innings.
Another stellar performance for #STLCards LHP Matthew Liberatore while pitching for the Triple-A @memphisredbirds vs Nashville (#Brewers) tonight.
He hit 96.8 mph in the 1st inning, 97.3 in the 2nd, 94.7 in the 3rd, 96.5 in the 4th & 94.7 in the 5th. He got 11 swing and misses. pic.twitter.com/65ony4Z7Bw
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 7, 2023
For Cardinals fans worried about the state of the current rotation, there is still reason for optimism.
Liberatore was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the famous Randy Arozarena deal.
If Liberatore keeps up his dominance, then the Cardinals are in good shape in terms of starting pitching depth.
They still may need to acquire an arm or two at the trade deadline, but the top pitching prospect provides them with another option if their current starters continue to struggle.
Jake Woodford, Steven Matz, and Miles Mikolas have already struggled.
But with Liberatore’s dominance and the possibility of a return to action for Adam Wainwright soon, the Cardinals may have some reinforcements on the way.
NEXT: MLB Analyst Comments On Cardinals' Clubhouse Issues