ZingB

Track Record: Liberatore ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the 2018 draft but fell down the board to No. 16, where the Rays selected him and signed him to an under-slot $3.5 million. The lefthander enjoyed a strong debut in 2019, making 16 appearances for Low-A Bowling Green. In January 2020, Liberatore was traded to the Cardinals as a part of the deal that sent Randy Arozarena to the Rays. St. Louis aggressively assigned Liberatore to Triple-A in 2021 despite him having no experience above Low-A. He returned to Triple-A Memphis in 2022 and made 22 starts. Liberatore made his MLB debut on May 21 and appeared in eight games for the Cardinals.

Scouting Report: Liberatore is a tall lefthander with an athletic, slender build that should hold up to the rigors of starting. He has a simple and smooth operation, with some length to his arm action as he delivers the ball from a high three-quarters slot. He throws five different pitches, including two variations of his fastball. His four-seamer sits 93-95 mph with ride and cut. His two-seamer doesn't sink but has less ride than his fastball, with a heavy amount of late, armside run. His high-spin, mid-70s curveball is a 1-to-7 bender with over 16 inches of drop and a foot of horizontal break and is his best whiff-inducing option. His gyro slider sits 85-86 mph and gives Liberatore a chase pitch versus lefthanded hitters. His changeup is a mid-to-high-80s offering that mimics his two-seam shape, performing at a fringe-average level. Liberatore displays average control of his pitch mix but battles his command at times.

The Future: An improvement in command and execution could see Liberatore make the jump from experienced prospect to big league No. 4 starter with mid-rotation upside.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 50

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o63SnpmapJyWuqa%2ByJyYZ5ufonyxuMCynKurX2x%2FeoOMppitrJiaxG64yJucq5mkpL%2Bmew%3D%3D