St. Louis had 77 wins with two games left in 2026, one above its preseason ZiPS forecast, but missed the playoffs after fading in the second half. The season review highlights a young position-player core and improving rotation, alongside a bullpen that recorded 29 blown saves.
The five-player group of Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera totaled 10.3 WAR through the first 80 games, fifth among MLB clubs’ top-five groups; by season’s end, the group ranked 20th in full-season WAR. The rotation rose from 29th in WAR at April’s end to 12th for the full season, improving from 4.8 WAR in the first half to 7.0 in the second.
The bullpen’s 29 blown saves were St. Louis’ most since 2008. It posted -2.82 WPA, compared with about +2 for an average MLB bullpen, but the author notes that an average unit still would have left the Cardinals five games out of the final Wild Card spot. Prospect debuts offered a brighter note: Joshua Baez hit 41 home runs across the minors and majors, and the author sees him and Leo Bernal as possible additions to the next core.
