Matthew Liberatore
#32 Active2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile
Matthew Liberatore emerged as a durable mid rotation fixture in 2025, providing much needed stability for a Cardinals team in transition. After moving back to a full time starting role, he established career highs across the board, finishing with an 8-12 record and a 4.21 ERA over 29 starts. His 151.2 innings pitched and 1.31 WHIP showcased a significant leap in consistency compared to his previous "swingman" years. While his 7.2 K/9 rate was not elite, his improved 6.2% walk rate and ability to navigate through high leverage jams highlighted a maturing approach. He finished the season strong, notably tossing six strikeouts through six innings in a September win over the Reds, proving he could lead the staff through the dog days of summer.
As the Cardinals enter a full rebuild in 2026, Liberatore has been anointed as the staff's de facto ace following the departures of several veteran stars. He recently signed a one year, $2.26 million deal to avoid arbitration and has been named the starter for the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Nationals. Manager Oli Marmol has praised his offseason intentionality and leadership, noting that he is the primary candidate to take the ball on Opening Day. From a fantasy perspective, Liberatore is a volume based SP4 or SP5 with a high floor for innings. While his win equity may be capped by the rebuilding lineup behind him, his status as the number one option in St. Louis ensures he will have every opportunity to further lower his 4.03 FIP and solidify his place as a long term rotation cornerstone.
DFS Last 5
Game Log
2026 Regular Season| DATE | OPPONENT | DEC | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP | PC | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | W | 5.2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5.05 | 1.41 | 81 | W 5-1 |
| Sep 16 | vs. San Francisco Giants | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5.19 | 1.43 | 81 | L 6-5 | |
| Sep 11 | vs. Chicago White Sox | 4.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5.36 | 1.42 | 72 | W 3-7 | |
| Sep 5 | @ Colorado Rockies | L | 4.1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5.40 | 1.40 | 69 | L 7-10 |
| Aug 30 | vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | L | 5.2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5.23 | 1.40 | 107 | L 5-4 |
| Aug 25 | vs. Baltimore Orioles | L | 4.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5.25 | 1.40 | 91 | L 13-1 |
| Aug 19 | @ Cincinnati Reds | L | 6.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4.81 | 1.37 | 100 | L 4-5 |
| Aug 14 | @ Chicago Cubs | L | 5.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4.83 | 1.41 | 95 | L 0-3 |
| Aug 8 | vs. Colorado Rockies | L | 5.0 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4.90 | 1.45 | 94 | L 8-6 |
| Aug 2 | @ Toronto Blue Jays | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4.70 | 1.41 | 85 | W 5-1 | |
| Jul 27 | vs. Chicago Cubs | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.00 | 1.48 | 1 | L 7-3 | |
| Jul 11 | vs. Atlanta Braves | W | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5.00 | 1.48 | 71 | W 1-4 |
| Jul 5 | @ Chicago Cubs | L | 5.0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5.34 | 1.53 | 78 | L 4-6 |
| Jun 30 | @ Atlanta Braves | W | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 5.33 | 1.55 | 98 | W 5-3 |
| Jun 24 | vs. Arizona Diamondbacks | L | 5.1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5.56 | 1.58 | 98 | L 9-4 |
| Jun 18 | @ Kansas City Royals | L | 1.2 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5.23 | 1.56 | 48 | L 6-14 |
| Jun 13 | @ Minnesota Twins | 4.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4.71 | 1.50 | 70 | W 9-6 | |
| Jun 6 | vs. Cincinnati Reds | 4.1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4.48 | 1.51 | 84 | W 5-6 | |
| May 31 | vs. Chicago Cubs | W | 5.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.35 | 1.50 | 85 | W 1-5 |
| May 25 | @ Milwaukee Brewers | L | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4.76 | 1.57 | 101 | L 1-5 |
| May 19 | vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | 4.2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4.70 | 1.55 | 77 | W 6-9 | |
| May 13 | @ Las Vegas Athletics | L | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4.40 | 1.51 | 89 | L 2-6 |
| May 7 | @ San Diego Padres | W | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4.07 | 1.43 | 81 | W 2-1 |
| May 1 | vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | W | 5.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4.50 | 1.50 | 96 | W 2-7 |
| Apr 25 | vs. Seattle Mariners | 3.1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4.75 | 1.55 | 64 | L 11-9 | |
| Apr 19 | @ Houston Astros | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3.67 | 1.41 | 82 | W 7-5 | |
| Apr 13 | vs. Cleveland Guardians | L | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4.29 | 1.57 | 105 | L 9-3 |
| Apr 7 | @ Washington Nationals | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3.38 | 1.50 | 92 | W 7-6 | |
| Apr 1 | vs. New York Mets | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.64 | 1.18 | 76 | W 1-2 | |
| Mar 26 | vs. Tampa Bay Rays | 5.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.80 | 1.80 | 78 | W 7-9 | |
| No games against that opponent. | |||||||||||||
| Total | 6-12 | 146.0 | 155 | 88 | 82 | 26 | 51 | 142 | 5.05 | 1.41 | 2,449 | ||
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10.13 | 1.88 | 98 | |
| Total | 2 games | 2-0 | 11.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0.82 | 0.91 | 169 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 4.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 18.00 | 2.25 | 91 | |
| Total | 4 games | 1-2 | 15.2 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 2.87 | 0.83 | 259 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 4.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4.15 | 2.08 | 72 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-1 | 10.1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 5.23 | 1.06 | 184 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7.20 | 1.80 | 105 | |
| Total | 2 games | 0-2 | 9.1 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9.64 | 1.82 | 163 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1.50 | 0.83 | 82 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 1.2 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 27.00 | 4.20 | 48 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7.20 | 2.20 | 89 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 5.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3.18 | 1.24 | 96 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-1 | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5.40 | 1.80 | 101 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 4.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8.31 | 1.38 | 70 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.50 | 0.67 | 76 | |
| Total | 3 games | 1-1 | 16.0 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 4.50 | 1.44 | 265 | |
| Total | 1 game | 1-0 | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1.50 | 1.00 | 81 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 81 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 3.1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13.50 | 2.70 | 64 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 5.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.80 | 1.80 | 78 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.00 | 0.33 | 85 | |
| Total | 1 game | 0-0 | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7.20 | 2.20 | 92 | |
AVG, OBP, SLG, ERA and WHIP are season-to-date through each game, not that game alone — so the column reads as a trend and its last value is the season figure. They stay season-to-date when the log is filtered by opponent; the figure for the filtered games is the one in the Total row. The second game of a doubleheader is marked (2).
