2026 has been a storybook season for the Cardinals/Cubs rivalry

In a season full of head-scratching success, the St. Louis Cardinals have managed one thing that should really get their fanbase going–they’ve wreaked havoc on their arch-rival, the Chicago Cubs. 

The Redbirds sealed the deal on their season series against the Baby Bears, taking game three of their latest set by a score of 11-4. 

After a monster day at the plate, Alec Burleson said he liked "seeing the bleachers empty."

But even before they’d finalized a winning record against the Cubbies, the rivalry had plenty of timeless moments. It’s well and alive. 

The Cardinals/Cubs rivalry has had an exciting season 

At times this season, things have looked bleak. But even at their worst, this Cardinals team hasn’t let up on a much more talented Cubs roster. 

Ethan Hannaford of STL Sports Central recently pointed out the wild season between the two clubs on X:

It all started with a Nelson Velázquez moonshot into the bullpen at Busch Stadium in his first at-bat with the team. Cubs’ southpaw Shota Imanaga could only look on in awe as the first swing Velázquez ever took as a Cardinal went for a long ball. 

Ahead of his debut, manager Oliver Marmol was quoted as saying Velázquez would add “thump” to the lineup–and that he did. 

Subsequently, it was the emergence of then-reliever Hunter Dobbins, in his piggyback outing to lock down a big 5-1 win. 

Since then, Dobbins has become one of the Cardinals’ more reliable starters and looks to be a big part of the plan moving forward. That outing may have been the start of a great career. We’ll have to wait and see, but boy, wouldn’t that be something? 

Then the Cardinals trounced the Cubs 17-1 in an absolute barnburner for the Baby Bears’ pitching staff.

This came on the heels of Chicago acquiring 2025 All-Star David Peterson from the Mets. In response, the Redbirds hung nine earned runs on him. Welcome to the rivalry. 

On the Fourth of July, fans got to witness an electrifying brand of baseball–accompanied by some of Mother Nature’s finest trickery. 

Cardinal rookie JJ Wetherholt led off the game with an opposite-field bomb into the basket, springing the Birds ahead. 

Later that night, a thick fog at Wrigley Field had the Redbird infielders saying, “We can’t see the ball!” prompting the umpires to pause the game. 

When baseball returned, a Redbird winner came with it, and fans had multiple reasons to set off Roman Candles at home (this piece does not officially support the use of Roman Candles). 

Following this, in the midst of a skid, Ivan Herrera elevated St. Louis ahead of its rival with a walk-off double in the tenth inning, sending Busch into a frenzy. The Cardinals were playing bad baseball at the time, and still found a way to carve out a great win against the Cubs. 

Next, Cardinal radio announcer John Rooney, a legend behind the mic, called out Wrigley Field for its infamous working conditions. He said he “doesn’t like the weeds on the wall” or the Cubs’ bear patches on their uniforms. You can imagine how well received that was within the Friendly Confines. 

Following Rooney’s comments was the cherry on top of it all. Joshua Báez had the greatest MLB debut of all time at Wrigley Field. 

Against the Cubs, on a sunny day, in front of a contingent of his friends and family, Báez launched three home runs in his first three at-bats. One to center that traveled an estimated 449 feet and almost hit the Harry Caray statue. The next to left field after he worked from an 0-2 count to 3-2. And he capped off his historical introduction by going backside on a backdoor slider–it landed in the lap of a Cardinals fan. 

After the game, he attributed his success to his late father, nicknamed “El Bronco.” Báez said it was his dad’s dream to be a Major Leaguer, and that he had always wanted to live it for him. 

Live it he did. And with that dream solidifying into reality, it adds yet another chapter into the Cardinals/Cubs booklet–but this one gets a gold star and a picture of a bee. 

Among the pillars that we’ve now discussed, fans have also been blessed to witness some of the best defensive games in baseball, especially on the infield, between these two teams. As well as a knack for the big moment on both sides. 

Masyn Winn and Wetherholt have probably stolen enough outs from the Cubs this season to finish off an entire game. Funnily enough, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner have done much of the same, so it’s not hard for the Cardinal faithful to imagine. 

It would be in poor taste to avoid talking about the Cubs’ counterpunches–that’s half the fun, right? If one of the teams in the rivalry gets beaten down every time, it’s less of a rivalry and more like bullying. And it’s sweet to bully those darn Cubs, but only because they aren’t so easy to get to anymore. 

Earlier this season, MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a baseball directly toward the “Tarps Off” section at Busch Stadium while they chanted “Overrated! Overrated!” That was sure something. 

Ian Happ, Michael Busch, and Nico Hoerner have continued to be thorns in St. Louis’ side all year. And the Cubs pitching staff, although Kyle Hendricks-less, has, for the most part, managed to circumnavigate around Cardinal barrels (on occasion, the Redbirds break through, and it’s really fun). 

Nothing about this piece is measurable. There are no numbers that can quantify what these games mean to every player on the field. Heck, Hoerner even said this season that the White Sox are the Cubs’ “real biggest rival.” Go ahead and add that to the list of memorable moments. 

What this piece is about is something that baseball excels at–storylines. The longevity of the sport, the years upon years of development, allow fans to feel fully entrenched in matchups just like this. 

Cardinals/Cubs has always been must-see TV, but for some reason, this year, it’s been a serving of immortalized moments. Don’t let it pass you by; this is special. 

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