The Cardinals have been one of the more surprising stories of the 2026 season. Entering the year with almost no outside optimism, St. Louis has stayed in the fight thanks in large part to the breakouts of Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt, along with other contributors who helped turn a rebuilding club into a legitimately competitive one.
But not everything has gone smoothly in St. Louis.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle singled out closer Riley O'Brien as the team’s biggest disappointment, and the numbers behind that call explain why. O'Brien made the NL All-Star team and leads the league with 37 saves, yet he also carries a 4.13 ERA and a bWAR that sits around replacement level.
Doolittle pointed to the Cardinals’ bullpen struggles as a whole, writing, "Only two teams have blown more saves than the Cardinals' relievers, and only one has allowed a higher percentage of inherited runners to score," Doolittle writes. "Typifying this issue has been closer Riley O'Brien, who leads the NL with 37 saves but has a 4.13 ERA and a bWAR that puts him right around replacement level."
That slide has shown up most clearly after the All-Star break. O'Brien’s second half has been rough enough to turn him from an All-Star closer into a real source of concern, with four blown saves and a 5.40 ERA since the break.
One of the most damaging moments came in Philadelphia, where O'Brien returned to face the Phillies and gave up a 4-0 ninth-inning lead with two outs before Kyle Schwarber ended it with a walk-off home run.
The frustrating part for St. Louis is that Doolittle sees better stuff underneath the inconsistency. "O'Brien has the stuff to be an elite closer, but he needs to make strides in consistency and command," Doolittle writes.
That leaves the Cardinals with a bullpen question that wasn’t supposed to be this big. O'Brien looked like the club’s closer of the future, but after this second-half run, that certainty has faded for St. Louis and Oli Marmol as the season winds down.
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JJ Wetherholts Return Just Changed A Cardinals Roster Battle
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Wetherholts return comes after a season in which he has already logged 130 games, giving St. Louis a young option back in the mix as the team sorts out its finish. Uras had appeared in 43 games for the Cardinals, while Strzelecki made eight appearances, and their exits leave the organization with another decision to navigate as Wetherholt reenters the fold. [Read more 🡒]