Liberatore's breakout, López's curveball, and Smith-Shawver's new splitter
May 9 2025
Liberatore Has Better Control
Matthew Liberatore (LHP, STL) has shown better control in his early 2025 sample. That was evident again on Tuesday, with a 30.3% in that game compared to his 33.1% going in. Most of his four-seam whiffs came in the upper third of the zone, mainly toward the arm side and inside to left-handed hitters in his most recent outing.
How is Liberatore's control faring better? It seems to be due to him throwing his slider, four-seamer, and sinker, three of his four most-used pitches, more in the zone. We saw similar ball rates (33.3%) in 2024, aligning with the improved pitch-level zone rates. Theoretically, throwing more pitches in the zone leads to more strikes.
Liberatore has maintained the improved control and...
Almost!
You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
More From Arsenal Report
Bryce Miller and Ian Seymour have both taken steps forward in 2026, with profiles built around high FBs
Jul 10 2026 3:06am
Jul 10 2026 3:06am
Chase Burns and Kyle Harrison, two young arms who rely mostly on two pitches, have both made adjustments to improve in 2026.
Jun 26 2026 3:06am
Jun 26 2026 3:06am
Aaron Nola has really struggled with his fastballs to start 2026, and we dig into why. Also, Dustin May has reinvented himself in St. Louis.
Jun 12 2026 3:06am
Jun 12 2026 3:06am
Parker Messick has been a revelation to start 2026, with a well-rounded profile, while Logan Gilbert has struggled with his core arsenal.
May 15 2026 3:06am
May 15 2026 3:06am
Two former top 10 picks have made major adjustments in 2026 that have their stocks pointing up.
May 1 2026 3:06am
May 1 2026 3:06am
