The St. Louis Cardinals enter 2026 much differently then their fans are accustomed to, following an offseason “teardown”. The Cardinals have moved on from franchise stalwarts like Nolen Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. Perhaps the most painful move for the Red Bird fans, was the trade of Brendan Donovan to the Mariners in which the Cardinals received pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, and OF Colton Ledbetter to continue to build the team.
During the offseason, the team focused on short-term contracts to fill holes in the rotation (Dustin May, 1 year, $12million) and bullpen (Ryne Stanek, 1 year, $3.5million). For the first time in decades, the Cardinals are leaning into a youth movement, prioritizing a roster full of homegrown talent under manager, Oliver Marmol.
Lineup:
The Cardinals lineup represents a total pivot towards a younger, athletic core. With veteran stalwarts gone, the offense is built around high-contact, high-OBP, and some high-ceiling power hitters who are looking to establish themselves as long-term pieces. JJ Wetherholt, the Cardinals top prospect, is the frontrunner for the leadoff spot. Ivan Herrera is coming off a good 2025 season and is expected to be the primary run-producer. Alec Burleson has established himself as a reliable hitter who combines a high batting average with gap-to-gap power.
Players such as Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker will be leaned upon to provide middle of the order power, but they both face questions of consistency. Masyn Winn is a stellar defensive short stop, but must continue to show growth as an offensive contributor.
Rotation
Though the lineup faces its share of questions, the rotation could be the biggest question mark for the team. Gone are high-priced veterans, replaced by a group of arms that Cardinals fans are hoping can break out. Matthew Liberator is the projected Opening Day starter and will be given the chance to prove he can be a legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm. May is a high-upside righty looking for a healthy resurgence and is expected to fill in the #2 spot. Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante both showed flashes of reliability in 2025 and will be relied upon as part of the back end of the rotation to keep St. Louis competitive.
Bullpen
The bullpen is much like the rotation as it comes into 2026 as a unit in transition. The Cardinals are banking on the high upside of several young arms who are being given the opportunity to establish themselves in high-leverage roles. JoJo Romero is currently slated to handle the primary closing duties as he is the most experienced arm on the roster and will be relied upon to stabilize the 9th inning. Matt Svanson, coming off a breakout 2025, is viewed as a potential closer for the future and should see significant high-leverage work. Stanek is the veteran addition to who will be tasked with building the bridge between the starters and the backend of the bullpen. Riley O’Brien is another potential setup option who should get plenty of opportunities to establish a role in this bullpen.
Projected Lineup
- JJ Wetherholt – 2B
- Ivan Herrera – DH
- Alec Burleson – 1B
- Nolan Gorman – 3B
- Nelson Velazquez – LF
- Masyn Winn – SS
- Jordan Walker – RF
- Pedro Pages – C
- Victor Scott II – CF
Projected Rotation
- Matthew Liberatore
- Dustin May
- Michael McGreevy
- Andre Pallante
- Kyle Leahy
Projected Bullpen
JoJo Romero – Closer
Matt Svanson – Setup
Ryne Stanek
Riley O’Brien
Gordon Graceffo
Justin Bruihl
Manger: Oliver Marmol (5th season)
Projection: 65-97 (5th in the NL Central)
Written By: Brian Finnigan
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