The Cardinals are out of the postseason race, but the bigger picture in St. Louis looks a lot brighter than the standings say.
One of the clearest reasons comes from how young this roster already is. Grant Brisbee of The Athletic pointed out that St.
Louis may not hand a single start this season to a pitcher older than 30. He also noted that it goes well beyond the rotation.
The lineup is under 30 across the board, and the bench is, too. As Brisbee wrote, "The Cardinals have a young, young team, but also a remarkably talented team."
That youth movement has been building for a while, but 2026 is the season it has really taken hold. The organization spent years leaning on veteran leadership, and while there is still room for experienced additions down the road, the Cardinals have clearly opened the door for the next wave to take over.
Victor Scott II coined the word "youngry" last season, and it feels far more fitting now than it did in 2025. This group has more youth, more talent and more opportunity to grow into something real.
JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera form the core, while Joshua Baez has made his arrival this season. Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan have flashed at third base, and there is still plenty of pitching on the way.
That’s why the rebuild may be moving faster than expected. This was supposed to be a team that might lose 100 games, yet with six games left in the regular season, the Cardinals are only four games under .500 and still have a shot to finish above water.
Even beyond the record, the feel around the club has changed. St. Louis has played with a loose, relaxed edge all year, and when things have gone sideways, the group has shown it can answer back.
For Cardinals fans, the future is starting to look a whole lot more interesting.
In Other News...
Cardinals Are Starting To Feel Better About That Brendan Donovan Trade
The early returns on the Brendan Donovan trade are starting to look better for the Cardinals, at least from the standpoint of what came back to St. Louis. In the three-team deal with Seattle, the Cardinals added Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter and two draft picks, and Peete in particular has given the organization a reason to feel encouraged with his recent work at Double-A Springfield.
Peetes strong stretch has been highlighted by a five-hit game in the Texas League Championship Series, the kind of performance that can quickly change how a trade is remembered around a front office. Donovan, meanwhile, has been limited to 39 games for the Mariners this season because of injuries, which only adds to the sense that the Cardinals may have found more long-term value than they first appeared to be giving up. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Enter Offseason With 3 Roster Calls That Could Get Ruthless
The Cardinals are finishing the 2026 season with a clearer sense of where the roster still falls short, even after signs of progress under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. The biggest needs remain easy to spot: the starting rotation, the bullpen and third base all look like areas that could get attention once the offseason begins, and that means some of the players currently in place may not be as safe as they once seemed.
Nolan Gorman, Jos Pags and Ryan Stanek are among the names being mentioned as possible departures as the front office weighs performance against long-term fit. For a club trying to move forward without getting stuck in the middle, those are the kinds of decisions that can turn an ordinary winter into a ruthless one, with Bloom forced to decide which pieces still belong in the next version of the Cardinals and which ones do not. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Herrera's Cardinals Future Suddenly Looks Far Less Certain
Ivan Herrera entered the season with a chance to settle in as part of the Cardinals long-term catching picture, but the year has not exactly gone as planned. He has stayed healthy and continued to get regular playing time in St. Louis, yet the offense has slipped enough to make the situation feel less secure than it did a few months ago.
Leonardo Bernals arrival only adds to the pressure, especially after the rookie has flashed enough at the plate to make him look like a real candidate to take over behind the dish by 2027. Add in the progress of minor league prospects Rainiel Rodriguez and Jesus Baez, and Herreras path no longer looks as clear as it once did. The Cardinals still have time to sort it out, but the competition for catching roles is starting to look very real. [Read more 🡒]