The Cardinals may be done playing for October this year, but one club voice is already looking well past the finish line.
St. Louis is out of playoff contention, and as of September 22 the team sat at 76-80 before its game.
That leaves the Cardinals staring at a fourth straight season without postseason baseball. Even so, broadcaster Stefan Caray sees a roster that has moved faster than a typical rebuild.
During an appearance on Matrix Midwest, Caray said the Cardinals are “far ahead of what any rebuild should look like.” He added, “They are so far ahead that you’re starting to wonder, ‘Are they gonna be contenders next year in the NL Central?’ and not really just a Wild Card team.”
Caray also pointed to how the season could unfold differently in the near future. “I think the second half of next year could be very different than the last few years. Considering the Cardinals have been off to hot starts, and then lose a little bit of steam and momentum in the second half.”
Then came the bigger prediction. “I think it’s gonna be the opposite next year,” he said. “I think there’s a chance that you really see a lot of good talent coming up midway through the year, propelling this team forward, and then maybe regaining their rightful place atop the NL Central.”
That confidence comes from the names working their way through the system, and the headliner is Rainiel Rodriguez. The 19-year-old catcher has been tearing through Double-A since his promotion, doing it while playing 4.8 years younger than the average player at that level.
His .999 OPS and 23 home runs have made him look like a bat the Cardinals could lean on in St. Louis before long.
MLB Pipeline has Rodriguez pegged for a 2027 debut, and he could also be a candidate for late-season reps, much like Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal were handled this season.
On the pitching side, Liam Doyle has offered a left-handed version of that upside. While working on a new pitch this season, Doyle struck out more than 11 batters per nine and posted a 3.76 ERA. He’s also projected to debut next season, though the Cardinals may have more freedom to push pitchers aggressively because of both the depth in the minors and the thinner supply on the major league roster.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Third Base Battle Worth Watching
Third base has quietly become one of the Cardinals more interesting long-term questions, and it has put Jesus Baez on the radar in a real way. The 21-year-old infielder spent 2026 showing the kind of power that forces a front office to pay attention, finishing with 41 homers across 118 games and giving St. Louis a potential answer in the farm system if the position keeps trending the wrong way.
Baez still has some climbing to do, since he has not played above Double-A yet, but the path is starting to look easier to imagine than it did a year ago. With the current options at third base underperforming, the Cardinals could have a legitimate opening for competition in 2027, and Baez is now one of the names worth watching as that job begins to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Put Their Rotation Future Under Spotlight Against Baseballs Best
The Cardinals head into their final regular-season series carrying the weight of an 82-loss year, a mark that guarantees back-to-back losing seasons and leaves them under .500 in three of the last four. Next up is a three-game set against the Brewers, who have already clinched the best record in Major League Baseball, a reminder of just how far St. Louis has to go before it can think about contending again.
What makes this weekend especially revealing is the group the Cardinals are lining up on the mound: Michael McGreevy, Quinn Mathews and Andre Pallante. With the season winding down and the opponent at the top of the sport, the rotation turn comes with a little extra meaning, since these are the kinds of innings that can hint at what the Cardinals want their pitching picture to look like going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Prospect Mason Molina Is Raising A Bigger Rotation Question
Mason Molinas first full run in the Cardinals system has done more than justify the trade with Texas. The left-hander has settled in as a starter across Double-A and Triple-A, putting together a 3.57 ERA overall and showing the kind of strikeout stuff that tends to get attention quickly in this organization. His recent stretch at Triple-A Memphis has been even more eye-opening, as he has overpowered hitters and kept the ball out of danger over six starts.
For St. Louis, the interesting part is no longer simply that Molina looks like a useful prospect. It is where he fits next. A pitcher who is already flashing enough polish to look viable in a big-league rotation can also become a valuable piece in a different way, and the Cardinals now have a decision to keep in mind as his stock keeps rising. [Read more 🡒]