The St. Louis Cardinals are off to a strong start after winning both of their first two series to start the 2026 season. They took two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets, defeating New York in exciting fashion on Wednesday.
Left-hander Matthew Liberatore drew the start and went six innings, allowing just one run. In his first two starts, he owns a 1.64 ERA.
Last offseason, the Cardinals sent Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox as a result of their rebuild under Chaim Bloom. Gray was seen as their ace, but Liberatore’s strong start may prove that the Cardinals already have their next ace in-house.
Why Cardinals don’t need Sonny Gray
Mar 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
In contrast to Liberatore, Gray struggled in his first start with Boston, going four innings and allowing three earned runs. That adds up to a 6.75 ERA, and though it’s only one start, it’s proof that the perception of Gray being the Cardinals’ ace the past two seasons may not be completely accurate.
He ate innings for St. Louis and was able to record strikeouts at a high rate, but through his first two starts of the 2025 season, he had a 5.73 ERA. Gray is also 36 years old and potentially past his prime, while Liberatore is only 26 and still may have a lot of good years left in him.
That isn’t to take anything away from Gray, but the Cardinals needed to go younger, and that approach may end up working in their favor as they put their focus on rebuilding for the future.
Liberatore also has several years of club control remaining, whereas Gray is on an expiring contract, so the Cardinals would have had limited time with him.
But while the stats are a small sample size, they at least suggest that perhaps the Cardinals are better off with Liberatore leading the way instead of Gray. Liberatore now has a full year of starting under his belt and is better prepared this season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in his second full year in the rotation.
Gray hasn’t quite lived up to the ace title over the past few years, and his first start with the Red Sox this season did not go according to plan. Time will tell if that ends up being the case, but Liberatore likely has a bright future ahead of him.