The MLB regular season has come to a close and, once again, the Cardinals did not make the playoffs. That marks the fourth season in a row without a playoff appearance for the Cardinals. This extends the team’s longest playoff drought since 2000. 

Cardinals fans were excited about the team before the All-Star break, sitting at 50-45 and in the race for a Wild Card spot. However, they ultimately could not get the job done and went 27-40 in the second half of the season. Despite the early excitement from fans, this season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them. Even though they did not make the playoffs, the Cardinals did better than expected. 

The question remains: How should Cardinals fans look back at the season? Should they be disappointed with the fact that the team didn’t make the playoffs again? Should they be happy that they exceeded expectations?

The Hits

Young Stars

Jordan Walker finally did it. Walker was the No. 4 prospect in baseball before his debut season in 2023. This created a lot of hype around him for Cardinals fans. After watching him put up below-average seasons for three years, many people gave up on him. 

But fans forgot Walker was only 21 years old when he made his major league debut in 2023. It took him a few years, but the now 24-year-old grew into an All-Star and a Home Run Derby champion. He hit more home runs this season than in the previous three seasons combined, with 29. After this successful season, Walker will be seen as a potential cornerstone of a future Cardinals team.

Walker was not the only young player to have a good season for the Cardinals, as Rookie of the Year candidate JJ Wetherholt impressed in his first season. The second baseman hit for an admirable .242 batting average and 17 home runs, which are slightly above average, but where he truly shined was on the defensive side of the ball. 

The 24-year-old rookie is a frontrunner for a Gold Glove, which would make him only the 20th rookie to win the award. Wetherholt is tied for the MLB lead with 25 outs above average and has prevented 19 runs on defense, setting a new franchise record for the Cardinals since the stat began being measured in 2016.  

Alec Burleson

In his fifth season with the Cardinals, 27-year-old Alec Burleson turned it up a notch. He nearly doubled his RBI total from last season, ending the year with 116, landing him first in MLB. He also switched from left field to first base, which increased his defensive value and WAR. 

Burleson is nearing the end of his contract, but he has expressed a desire to stay in St. Louis and become a mainstay in the Cardinals’ future. Even though the Cardinals’ front office likely wanted Burleson’s breakout season to come after a new contract negotiation, they rank 27th in MLB in payroll, meaning they have plenty of money left for him and other players they may add during the offseason.

The Swings-And-Misses

Pitching

The Cardinals ranked 20th in the league this season in ERA. This is why, despite ranking above average in RBIs, the team managed to end up out of the playoffs. In the 89 games in which St. Louis scored at least 4 runs, the Cardinals lost 39 of them. That has them ranked third-worst in the league. 

Many of the Cardinals’ pitching problems stem from the fact that they have no true ace starting pitcher. They might have had one in Dustin May in the first half of the season, but he was traded before the deadline. Instead, the Cardinals have three average starting pitchers in Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, all of whom have ERAs over 3.5. All of the other starting pitchers for the Cardinals have ERAs over 4. 

This lack of a true ace creates a real problem for the Cardinals when it comes to the bullpen. Because of this, the bullpen became overworked and became one of the worst in MLB. 

That’s not to say the Cardinals’ bullpen would be great if they added an ace starting pitcher. However, an overworked bullpen called on in the fourth or fifth inning of most games significantly damaged the team. 

The Cardinals have some true bullpen prospects, some of whom could grow into great players. However, without time between pitching appearances, it diminishes their abilities. The Cardinals must look for an ace during the offseason if they want to save their future seasons. 

Outlook

Overall, Cardinals fans should look back at the 2026 season with rose-colored glasses. It was a season full of young players that turned out much better than it could have. The hope is that after this season, new Cardinals GM Chaim Bloom will provide support for the young stars. 

With only a few added pieces, it would be hard to imagine the Cardinals missing out on the playoffs again.  Therefore, Cardinals fans should be excited for the seasons to come. 

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