The St. Louis Cardinals are starting to look like a team that refuses to fade quietly.
Even with a full-on rebuild in motion, they’ve stayed in the mix in the division, and a big part of that has been the way the young core has shown up. JJ Wetherholt has been excellent in his first season, while Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera have also delivered at the plate. On the other side, the pitching staff has looked the part as well.
Last week, though, was the kind of stretch that really put that momentum to the test. St. Louis had to deal with the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs, two clubs that have been hot lately.
The Cardinals answered. They handled the Braves in a 2-1 series win, then turned around and did the same thing to the Cubs over the weekend. That made it a 4-2 week overall, and it was enough to push them up in Bleacher Report’s power rankings from No. 14 to No. 10, according to Kerry Miller.
“There are only six teams with at least 50 wins this season, and St. Louis just won back-to-back road series against two of the members of that club.
The Cardinals put up 11 runs in the final game in Atlanta before exploding for 17 runs the following day in Chicago. And if they can stay hot against 50-win teams, look out.
They've got five games against Milwaukee and three against Atlanta coming up in their pre-All Star Break homestand.”
The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here. Before the All-Star break, the Cardinals still have five games against the Milwaukee Brewers, including a doubleheader, plus another series against the Braves over the weekend.
It’s a packed week, and another chance for this young St. Louis team to keep proving it belongs in the conversation.
In Other News...
Cardinals Fans Will Love Where This Oli Marmol Feud Is Headed
A familiar name is set to leave the umpiring ranks after the 2026 season, and for Cardinals fans, the timing may bring a little extra satisfaction. CB Bucknor is among seven Major League Baseball umpires who have informed the league they plan to retire then, closing the book on a long run that began in 2000 and made him one of the sports most experienced officials.
For St. Louis, Bucknors departure carries a little more edge because of his history with Oli Marmol, a relationship that has not exactly been defined by warmth. The two have crossed paths in moments Cardinals followers remember well, and Bucknor has also been part of a few recent St. Louis games, though not nearly as often as in the past. With his retirement now on the horizon, it adds another layer to a feud that has lingered long enough to become part of the backdrop around this team. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Sent Cardinals Fans A Surprising Midseason Message
ESPNs midseason report cards offered a pretty encouraging snapshot of where the Cardinals stand relative to expectations, and the grade reflected a first half that has felt better than many around the club might have predicted in April. Breakout showings from Jordan Walker and rookie JJ Wetherholt helped drive that positive view, giving St. Louis a couple of young building blocks to point to as the season moves into its next stretch.
Still, the praise came with some caution attached, and it is the kind of warning that tends to linger for a team trying to prove its staying power. ESPN flagged the Cardinals success in extra innings and raised questions about whether the pitching staff can keep this pace, especially with a bullpen that has been ordinary and a rotation that has not piled up strikeouts at a high clip. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Finally Turn To A Bullpen Answer Fans Have Wanted
With the bullpen thinned by injuries, the Cardinals are turning to a fresh arm ahead of their doubleheader against the Brewers. The move gives the club another option in a relief group that has been forced to absorb some recent hits, and it also opens the door for a pitcher who has climbed quickly through the system after spending 2025 in Double-A and this season in Triple-A.
The reward for that rise is a long-awaited major league debut, and the timing could hardly be more important for St. Louis. He has been effective in Triple-A this year, posting a 2.27 ERA across 36 outings, and the Cardinals will now see whether that production can carry over when the games start coming fast and the margin for error gets even smaller. [Read more 🡒]