2025 season: Eliminated Sept. 24
With the Cardinals eliminated from the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was in St. Louis, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.
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Read more: MLB offseason previews 2025: What’s next for the White Sox, Rockies, Twins and more?
Things that went right
In nearly every area, including runs scored and runs allowed, the Cardinals were an average team. But defense was where they excelled, as they spent the season ranked among the leaders in Fielding Run Value, per Statcast. Shortstop Masyn Winn and center fielder Victor Scott II were the catalysts of that success, and Willson Contreras fared well in his debut season at first base.
The other strength of the team was the bullpen. Surprisingly, Ryan Helsley did not drive that success. He was solid for four months before being traded to the Mets, but this was not his most dominant season. His performance was bettered by JoJo Romero, Kyle Leahy, Matt Svanson and Riley O’Brien.
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A pair of former catchers provided the biggest storylines for the offense. Contreras not only was a good fielder at first but also handled the position switch well while continuing to provide steady production at the plate. Iván Herrera opened the season behind the dish but quickly became the DH and was the Cardinals’ best hitter in a campaign that was interrupted twice by IL stints.
Things that went wrong
The Cardinals’ rotation deserves credit for durability, but there was little good news beyond that. Not much was expected of Andre Pallante and Miles Mikolas, yet they struggled to meet even modest ambitions. Erick Fedde went from being a valued addition at last year’s trade deadline to being designated for assignment and shipped to the pitching-starved Braves in July. And Sonny Gray was respectable overall but faltered badly as the team went 8-16 in July and fell out of the postseason race.
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The lineup plodded its way to a respectable season despite some serious holes. As good as Scott was defensively, he gave back all that value and more by being one of baseball’s worst hitters. His playing time was cut in August as his OPS continued to float around .600. Another young outfielder, Jordan Walker, was an even bigger disappointment. Once expected to be a lineup centerpiece, Walker struggled mightily at the dish for a second straight year. Thanks to poor plate control and a penchant for hitting grounders, Walker is no longer a lock to have a regular role next year.
The other big disappointment was Nolan Arenado, who owned a .660 OPS when he landed on the IL due to a shoulder injury on July 30. He returned in September but didn’t fare any better. The struggles of the 34-year-old were especially disappointing for the fan base given the fact he vetoed a trade to Houston last winter.
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Offseason outlook
For better or worse, most of the current Cardinals are under contract for 2026.
Pedro Pagés has already proven to have solid defensive skills, but his bat remains a work in progress. He took a small step backward offensively and could soon face competition from younger catchers in the organization. Contreras is solidified as the first baseman, and though he can play multiple positions, Brendan Donovan is available to open 2026 at second base. Winn’s defensive skills will keep him in a full-time role, though he proved to be overmatched as a leadoff hitter and will instead bat further down the lineup. And unless the front office takes another run at trading Arenado, he will be the third baseman for two more years. The other infield option is Nolan Gorman, who had a miserable start to the season but earned regular playing time down the stretch. He can play second or third base.
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Although there aren’t any stars in the bunch, the Cardinals have plenty of outfielders. Alec Burleson is arguably the best hitter of the group and should handle left field. Lars Nootbaar is the other player who has shown some talent at the dish, and he adds the benefit of being able to play anywhere in the outfield. The team will have to decide what to do with Walker and Scott, who will be 23 and 25, respectively, on Opening Day. As things stand right now, the four listed here will share playing time and could each appear in at least 100 games.
The Cardinals have several rotation options but could really use an ace. Gray will lead the staff as he enters the final year on his contract. Matthew Liberatore fared well until he ran out of steam in the second half, and Michael McGreevy likely did just enough to earn a spot at the back of the rotation. Andre Pallante is another backend option who doesn’t dominate but used his heavy ground-ball lean to eat innings every fifth game. Miles Mikolas is heading to free agency, which might not be a bad thing for a club needing to upgrade his spot.
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Despite the loss of Helsley, St. Louis is in good shape in the bullpen. Romero, O’Brien, Leahy and Svanson are all in the primes of their careers and under contract for 2026 and beyond. The front office could choose to sign an experienced closer, but it might make more sense to use the money on a starting pitcher and allow an anchor to emerge from this group.
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Prospects on the horizon
The Cardinals have a potential superstar in the making with JJ Wetherholt. The seventh overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has dominated minor-league hurlers throughout his quick rise to Triple-A. A natural shortstop, he will likely switch positions due to the presence of the slick-fielding Winn. That shouldn’t be a problem for the 22-year-old Wetherholt, who has already gained experience at second base. He’s a real threat to make the 2026 Opening Day roster.
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Liam Doyle became the organization’s top pitching prospect as soon as he was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. A lefty with four pitches, Doyle gets plenty of whiffs off a dominant fastball. He is most likely to debut in 2027 but can’t be counted out if the team needs help next year.
Quinn Mathews is the other pitching prospect to note. In fact, it’s surprising to see Mathews in this section, as most observers expected him to be in the Cardinals’ rotation by now. Unfortunately, he dealt with a shoulder injury early in the season and took a long time to build back up to throwing five-plus innings in his starts. The lefty has terrific swing-and-miss skills and will push for a rotation spot in spring training.
The Cardinals have a pair of catchers who will soon challenge Pagés for playing time, Leonardo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks. Bernal is considered to have the higher ceiling, but Crooks is three years older and therefore should reach the majors sooner. In fact, Crooks could open 2026 as Pagés’ partner.
Goals for 2026
The Cardinals are stuck in the middle right now. They have a solid roster that would be the envy of bottom-feeders such as the Pirates. But in both the lineup and the rotation, the team lacks the game-changing players necessary to compete with baseball’s best teams.
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In a perfect scenario, Wetherholt becomes the next St. Louis superstar. However, it’s reasonable to think he’ll need at least a couple of years to reach that level of performance. In the meantime, the front office will need to decide if they can acquire high-end players via trade or free agency. If they fail to make that happen, the Cardinals are destined to hover around .500 again before falling out of the postseason race next summer.
There is an option for the team to take a step backward in an effort to eventually take two or three steps forward. That would mean trading Gray for prospects and being open to the same with Contreras and Donovan. But this path feels unlikely in one of baseball’s most passionate markets. After all, St. Louis has logged a losing record just twice this century.
Fantasy focus
Due to a lack of star players, there won’t be any Cardinals selected in the early rounds of 2026 fantasy drafts. In fact, some drafts will reach their midpoint before Gray leads off an onslaught of St. Louis players who can serve as reliable contributors. That list includes Contreras, Donovan, Burleson, Herrera, Liberatore, Winn and whoever emerges as the team’s closer.
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There’s also a chance that Wetherholt emerges in spring training as a real competitor for an Opening Day job and creates so much fantasy buzz that he becomes the first Cardinal selected in drafts. At the very least, he will be a late-round option who can be stashed on the bench until his debut.
