Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero lines an RBI single off Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
The Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals will open the 2026 season with a pitching matchup rich in symbolism, history, and personal milestones. Both clubs announced that right‑hander Drew Rasmussen and left‑hander Matthew Liberatore will make their first career Opening Day starts when the teams meet for the first time ever on Opening Day.
For Liberatore, the assignment carries obvious meaning. Drafted by the Rays in 2018 and later traded to St. Louis in the deal that brought Randy Arozarena to Tampa Bay, the left‑hander now gets the chance to face his original organization on one of baseball’s biggest stages.
For Rasmussen, the moment is equally powerful. His first game back from a third major elbow surgery came at Busch Stadium in 2024, making his return to St. Louis for Opening Day a full‑circle moment in his career.
Rasmussen earns the Rays’ trust after remarkable comeback
Rasmussen enters 2026 after a breakout 2025 season in which he went 10‑5 with a 2.76 ERA across 31 starts, totaling 150 innings and 4.4 bWAR.
After returning from an internal brace procedure in 2024, he rejoined the Rays’ rotation and exceeded expectations, becoming one of the few pitchers in MLB history to return from three major elbow surgeries and reach All‑Star status.
Rasmussen relies on a mix of three fastballs — four‑seam, two‑seam, and cutter — along with a sweeper and curveball. He limits hard contact, avoids walks, and rarely lets innings unravel. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander made the decision so clear that he simply texted the staff: “I’m good whenever you guys want to tell Drew that he’s starting on Opening Day.”
Liberatore steps into the No. 1 role for St. Louis
Liberatore, now 26, takes over as the Cardinals’ top starter following the departure of Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas. He earned the Opening Day nod by allowing just one walk across 13 1/3 innings during the exhibition season, showing improved command after a stint in the bullpen in 2024.
The left‑hander finished 2025 with an 8‑12 record and a 4.21 ERA in 29 starts, but his growth in strike‑throwing and consistency positioned him as the natural choice to open the season.
“Every pitcher growing up wants to throw the first pitch of the season for their team,” Liberatore said, and now he gets that opportunity against the club that drafted him.
A matchup that reflects two franchises at key moments
The Rays enter 2026 with a rotation anchored by Rasmussen and a roster reshaped by late‑spring injuries. The Cardinals, meanwhile, begin a new era under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom — who began his career in the Rays’ front office.
The Opening Day matchup not only highlights two emerging starters but also connects the past and present of both organizations in a compelling way.
