St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore is entering the 2026 season poised to make a significant impact, having fully secured his place in the starting rotation. After showing steady improvement with a 4.21 ERA over 29 starts in 2025, Liberatore has added a new pitch, a splitter, to his repertoire, aiming to enhance his effectiveness against hitters.
This addition, inspired by watching Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage, represents a strategic evolution in Liberatore’s approach as he seeks to become a more dominant presence on the mound. The development aligns with his transition from a mixed role over the previous three years to a consistent starter expected to take on a larger pitching workload and responsibility.
Development of the Splitter: Lessons from Top Pitchers
Liberatore revealed that his decision to develop the splitter came from studying pitchers known for their effectiveness with the pitch. While admiring the splitter of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he recognized differences in pitching styles, noting Yamamoto’s shorter stature and lower arm angle. Liberatore explained,
“Obviously, [Yoshinobu Yamamoto] has a great splitter, but he’s a little shorter and from a much lower approach angle.”
He credits Yesavage’s splitter for inspiring his own version of the pitch, which features a steep approach angle he feels comfortable with and confident will perform well during games. Liberatore said,
“So, the guy that kind of spurred the decision to start working on it was watching Trey Yesavage’s splitter. He’s super-steep approach-angle and I’m not quite that steep but I do have a relatively steep approach-angle and we figured if that was a pitch I could feel comfortable with, it could play really well for me.”
Hints About the New Pitch Emerged During Offseason Conversations
Earlier in the offseason, Liberatore gave glimpses of a new addition to his pitching arsenal during interviews with Jim Hayes and Lance Lynn on Cardinal Territory. He noted:
“There is a potential extra pitch in the works right now that I think can help me quite a bit against right-handed hitters. I’ll break it out in the spring this year, but I’ve been throwing it in bullpens this offseason so far, and I think it could really be a weapon for me.”
Now, it is clear that the splitter was the “extra pitch” he was referring to, and it has generated optimism for both Liberatore and the Cardinals organization as he prepares for a pivotal year in his career.
Looking Ahead: Expectations for Liberatore’s Role in 2026
After overcoming uncertainty about his role in previous seasons, Liberatore has established himself as a dependable member of the Cardinals’ rotation. His consistent decrease in ERA over four seasons and solid strikeout-to-walk ratio of 122-to-40 in 151 2/3 innings pitched in 2025 demonstrate his development trajectory.
As he adds the splitter to his pitching arsenal, many within the organization and among fans are viewing him as one of the most promising breakout candidates in the rotation. Liberatore’s blend of improved command and new pitching weapons suggests 2026 could be a defining year for his career and an asset to the Cardinals’ rotation stability moving forward.
Matthew Liberatore's splitter, brought to you in part by Trey Yesavage. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/67kluYef0Z
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 2, 2026
