Seventy wins doesn’t usually sound like a landmark. For the Cardinals this season, it feels a lot bigger than that.
St. Louis entered the year with plenty of outside noise saying this would be one of the worst clubs in Major League Baseball.
That wasn’t exactly a wild prediction after the front office moved veterans and made clear a rebuild was underway. But the fan base had a different read on the win total, and expectations for 2026 were already running ahead of the national projections.
The Cardinals have done more than merely survive. They got to 70 wins with 22 games still left on the schedule, and they did it in a season that has stayed alive into September despite a long list of arguments about whether the club should have pushed harder at the trade deadline or sold off even more pieces.
The latest reminder came in another dramatic finish against the LA Dodgers, with the St. Louis future once again flashing in the spotlight.
That’s part of why this .500 mark feels different from the last few times the Cardinals have landed here. A recent post from Sam Block noted that in each of the previous three seasons, St. Louis was at or within one game of .500 when it recorded its 70th win.
Cardinals in 2024… 71-70 record
Cardinals in 2025… 70-71 record
Cardinals in 2026… 70-70 record
- Sam Block (@theblockspot) September 3, 2026
The warning label is obvious. In 2024, the Cardinals stayed above .500 the rest of the way and finished 83-81, but still missed the postseason after placing second in the division.
In 2025, they were 70-71 before a September slide sent them to 78-84. So yes, there’s a recent track record here that keeps the celebration from getting too loud.
Even so, this year carries a different feel. The club entered the season with lowered external expectations, and the disappointing finishes of those earlier teams were tied to veteran underperformance and a fan base that expected October baseball. Those letdowns helped force a shift in leadership and direction, giving Chaim Bloom full control of the rebuild and the next wave of contenders.
That matters when you look at what this season has actually revealed.
On the pitching side, the Cardinals still do not have an ace, but they’ve learned enough to see a core forming. Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy, and Michael McGreevy have all shown they belong in the mix.
Injuries have opened doors, and Quinn Mathews became the first higher-level pitching prospect to get his chance this year. In the bullpen, Luis Gastelum and George Soriano have worked their way into the conversation, while Justin Bruihl has established himself as a useful left-handed option.
There is still a decision to make on Matthew Liberatore, but the encouraging showings from the rest of the staff could give the organization more time before settling that question.
The same kind of evaluation is happening in the lineup. Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson have emerged as the best run-producing tandem in baseball, while JJ Wetherholt showed he can hit at the major league level before a wrist injury slowed him down. Ivan Herrera has remained productive even with a power outage, and a move off catcher could be on the table soon.
The Cardinals are also trying to sort out what comes next for the younger names. Joshua Baez is trying to win the 2027 starting left field job, and Leo Bernal is getting a late-season audition as he looks to get an early edge for the primary catcher role.
Still, there are holes. Third base, center field, and shortstop remain the biggest offensive questions. Masyn Winn remains one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, but his bat has continued to slip, and another injury only adds to the uncertainty.
If St. Louis wants to contend in 2027, Bloom will need to address those spots, and the Cardinals would benefit from putting some financial resources into them.
If the answers come from within, fine. If the organization adds established major league help, even better.
Either way, the 70-win Cardinals have already done something important: they’ve built a foundation that looks sturdier than the record might suggest. And if Bloom decides to open up the wallet a little, this rebuild could start feeling a lot more dangerous, a lot sooner.
In Other News...
Cardinals Trade Regret Keeps Growing At Their Biggest Weak Spot
The Cardinals decision to move Tommy Edman in a three-team deal with the Dodgers and White Sox was supposed to help them patch a playoff race without giving up the kind of prospects they wanted to keep. St. Louis came away with Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham, and it briefly looked like a win-now gamble that fit the moment, especially with the organization trying to squeeze value out of the roster it had built.
Now the long view looks far less kind. Miguel Vargas, the young third baseman sent to Chicago in the swap, has developed into one of baseballs best hitters in 2026, while the Cardinals have continued to search for stability at third base. The part of the deal that once felt like a manageable price has become a reminder of a bigger issue for St. Louis, especially after the club eventually shifted away from pushing for immediate contention and toward a rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Took A Rotation Hit That Changes One Recent Trade
The Cardinals pitching depth took a jolt this week when Hunter Dobbins underwent elbow reconstructive surgery Wednesday, a setback that changes the picture for one of the clubs more recent trade additions. Dobbins had given St. Louis a useful stretch before the injury, posting a 3.67 ERA in 11 appearances this season, and his arrival had offered another arm to help stabilize a rotation that can never seem to have enough certainty.
Instead, the focus now turns to recovery, with a Cardinals official saying he will face a 12-month rehabilitation period after his second surgery on the same right elbow. The timetable points to him missing the rest of the 2026 season and most of 2027, leaving St. Louis to rethink how it fills the innings it expected to get from him and how this move fits into the broader plan for the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Deadline Trade Suddenly Looks Better Than Fans Expected
The trade deadline move that sent Dustin May and JoJo Romero to Milwaukee had plenty of Cardinals fans wondering how much immediate value St. Louis was giving up, especially with the rotation already asking a lot of its remaining arms. May was supposed to bring stability for the Brewers down the stretch, and the kind of trade involving a big-league pitcher for prospects usually carries a familiar wait-and-see warning for the club that deals him away.
Instead, the early returns have leaned the Cardinals way. May has labored through five starts with Milwaukee, and St. Louis has already added Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale to the farm system, giving the front office at least some reason to feel better about the deadline deal even as the big-league rotation continues to need help. For a team trying to balance present needs with future value, this one suddenly looks a little more favorable than it did in July. [Read more 🡒]