3 position battles that will define Cardinals Spring Training and who will win

Battle for sixth starter/bulk reliever

Matthew Liberatore

What makes this rivalry so compelling is that off the field, Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson are actually really good friends and publicly root for each other to succeed. Unfortunately for one of them though, they both probably will not fit onto the Cardinal's 26-man roster come opening day. 

Liberatore has spent the last two seasons between the MLB and the Card’s AAA ballclub, posting somewhat unflattering numbers. In 96.1 innings, he has posted a 5.51 ERA, a WHIP of 1.57, and a K/BB of 1.72. 

These numbers scream a back end of the rotation starter, which, luckily for him, is exactly what he is competing for. Libertore has plenty of upside, as he was drafted in the first round back in 2018, and was considered a top prospect in the Cardinals farm system as a minor leaguer. He will be given a fair chance to show off his full skillset during Spring Training (watch out for his nasty curveball). If Libby does well, he could find himself cracking it onto the roster as a fill-in starter/multiple-inning reliever. 

Zack Thompson

Zack Thompson, much like his buddy Matthew Libertore, is also a former first-round pick and has also bounced between the MLB and AAA over the last two seasons. Over that span, in 101 innings pitched, he has a 3.65 ERA, a WHIP of 1.27, and a K/BB of 2.54. 

These numbers are better than Libertore across the board, giving Thompson the edge going into this year's spring training. Thompson still needs to be sharp, though, as crazier things have certainly happened.

Prediction: Whatever the role may be, whether it's the next starter up or the first man out of the pen, Zack Thompson will edge out Matthew Libertore.