Liberatore brings vision to reality out of 'pen

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MILWAUKEE -- When Cardinals left-handed reliever Matthew Liberatore brazenly retired Brewers slugger Willy Adames as part of a perfect ninth inning and then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th on Tuesday, success came because, in his head at least, he had already been in those situations while lying in bed the night before and earlier while relaxing in the bullpen.

Liberatore, 24, credits the visualization practices he’s used this season -- something he usually does with his eyes closed before he goes to sleep or early in games before the bullpen is called upon -- to have success against a who’s who of MLB stars. Here are some of the left-handed hitters he’s struck out this season: Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper (twice), Kyle Schwarber (twice), Cody Bellinger, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Busch (twice).

“There’s a lot of visualization work I’ve put in over the last few months, and I like to feel like when I’m in those situations against big hitters, it’s not the first time I’ve been there,” Liberatore said. “My way of doing that is putting myself in those situations mentally when I’m not in the game. Working through those in my head before I even get out there means there isn’t a situation that arises that I haven’t already figured out how to get out of.”

Liberatore had to figure out how to become successful as a reliever -- something that was totally foreign to him much of his life as he thrived as a top-of-the-rotation starter as he was coming up in the game. His massive potential as a lefty starter with a great fastball/curveball mix got him drafted 16th overall by the Rays in 2018, and it lured the Cardinals into trading for him on Jan. 9, 2020.

Liberatore made it to the big leagues on May 21, 2022, but he’s hardly been the starter the Cardinals originally thought he could be, in part, because of his struggles against right-handed hitters. In 24 career big league starts, Liberatore has managed just three quality starts.

That necessitated the move to the bullpen, where Liberatore has finally flashed as a dependable stopper for the Redbirds. This season, he’s played in a career-high 50 games and he ranks sixth in the National League in inherited runners scoring (25 percent). He’s become such a force that Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol turned to Liberatore 14 times in August -- tied for the second-most appearances by an NL reliever.

“It’s real leverage that he’s pitched his way into, and he’s been dominant,” Marmol raved. “His demeanor and presence have been fun to watch. He’s got the stuff for it, he’s got the mix and he doesn’t scare, so he checks all the boxes. He’s gone up against some of the best hitters in the league and he’s shown well. To be quite honest, when he’s in those big spots, he doesn’t care who’s in the box.”

Back to that trade from Tampa Bay to St. Louis, Liberatore wound up with some lofty expectations placed across his shoulders when Randy Arozarena -- the Rays' centerpiece haul in the deal -- went on to win the American League Championship Series MVP 10 months after the deal was executed. It put Liberatore in an almost untenable situation before he ever threw a pitch at the MLB level.

“It was kind of an unfortunate situation, because I couldn’t go play in the postseason in 2020 and show what I was capable of doing,” said Liberatore, who could face Arozarena this weekend when his new team, the Mariners, plays at Busch Stadium. “It’s not a competition for me with him. They made that trade because they wanted me here. For me, that’s where it ends.”

What if Liberatore’s chances of starting games ends and he’s in a reliever role for years to come? Will that ever be enough for a Cardinals club that had designs on him being a big-time starter when it traded for him? Will that satiate the appetite of the ultra-competitive Liberatore? Like when he’s using the visualization tactics to prepare for big spots, Liberatore has already given the scenario plenty of thought.

“I have my own personal goals and desires, but I try to never let those step in front of the team’s,” Liberatore said. “I’ve always been very loyal to the place that I play and who I wear across the front of my jersey. That’s a big priority for me.

“Personally, yeah, I want to start again, and I’d be disappointed if I never started again. But if that came at the cost of winning a couple of World Series, I think I’d be all right with that.”