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But, if I’m being completely honest, I still walked away a bit skeptical.

At the time, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol had just announced the left-handed Liberatore would begin the season in the starting rotation after he spent the majority of last season in the bullpen. I’d asked Liberatore if he was a different pitcher than he was in his previous stints as a starter in the big leagues.

Liberatore’s reply certainly landed as nothing other than genuine. It wasn’t the sort of answer that made you think he was trying to convince himself of the words that were coming out of his mouth.

“It’s hard to quantify, but there’s been a lot of growth that has happened,� Liberatore said on the final Sunday of big-league camp. “Sometimes when I think about who I was in ’22 when I made my debut and was starting a little bit, I don’t quite recognize the guy that I was then compared to who I am now.�

As great as it sounded at the time and as much as it’s exactly what you’d hope he’d say, that’s still the sort of thing where you need to see evidence before you really believe it.

While it’s still early in the season, it’s evident we’ve already witnessed a professional transformation to some extent for Liberatore. That transformation remains ongoing, but the change thus far can’t be denied.

Liberatore earned his second win of the season in Friday night’s 3-2 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers, his fifth start of the season. He’s now 2-2 with a 3.19 ERA, 28 strikeouts and two walks in 31 innings.

Liberatore is also one of four pitchers in the majors to pitch at least six innings in each of his first five starts this season. He also collected his fourth quality start of the season.

When asked about the importance of providing consistent innings for his club, Liberatore referenced one of his prominent veteran predecessors.

“When I came up in ’22 and I got to be in the rotation or make some starts when (Adam Wainwright) was here, that was something that he always stressed on me — that we don’t five and dive here,� Liberatore said following the game. “So yeah, that’s something that I definitely take pride in and something I’m looking to go after every time I take the mound.�

That may always have been the goal, but the past few seasons showed that Liberatore simply wasn’t equipped to carry that burden.

It wasn’t a matter of not having the desire or the physical tools. Sure, he needed to refine some of his physical gifts, but he also needed to develop some of those “hard to quantify� aspects of his game.

So far, it’s hard not to agree with Liberatore’s statement from spring training. His starts look different.

He has been forthcoming discussing the “mental work� he has put into becoming a starter again. That included journaling, developing specific routines and working with a performance coach.

He’s also added to and adjusted his pitch arsenal in recent years. The cutter came on board last season. He’s altered the action on his changeup and worked to build consistency with his off-speed pitches — both slider and curveball.

He threw six types of pitches on Friday night. Early in the outing, he didn’t have a great feel for his fastball command or his changeup.

In past years, that would’ve doomed his outing and made five-and-dive a best-case scenario.

“I think when I was in the rotation last time, I probably would’ve just crossed those pitches off the list and said, ‘This is what I’ve got today and I’m going to stick with that,’� Liberatore said.

Friday night, Liberatore didn’t become one-dimensional and didn’t completely abandon any pitch. By the late innings of his outing, he felt comfortable throwing any of his pitches as he continued to turn over the Brewers lineup multiple times.

Of course, having an expanded arsenal gave him options and the ability to lean on his curveball and cutter.

However, Liberatore repeatedly harkened back to his process and his routines as a big factor in why a start like that didn’t go sideways.

“I really think having a really hard baseline to return to after every outing and understanding who I am and what I’m looking to do when I’m out there (was important),� Liberatore said. “I’m not just a two-pitch guy coming out of the bullpen. You have more innings and more hitters to face to work on stuff.

“I think it’s just never losing the belief in it and finding situations where you can throw it with a little bit lower risk and hopefully one of them clicks. That’s what ended up happening.�

So which part of this transformation has been the biggest? Is it the refined repertoire and usage of his pitches or is it the combination of mental and physical preparation behind the scenes?

“I don’t think you can simplify it to one,� Marmol said. “I think it really is a combination of arsenal, the preparation, the execution, the overall confidence. They all play into success.�

That early success, and how he’s arrived at it, should give us reason to believe Liberatore really is a different pitcher.