5 bold predictions for the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals

It's officially bold prediction season across Major League Baseball

For the St. Louis Cardinals, bold predictions won't be as exciting as normal. For a team at the onset of a rebuild, positivity can be found in player development rather than team accomplishments. This should hinder us as fans when it comes to shooting for the stars in our predictions. Let's get started.

Here are 5 bold predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2026.

Bold Prediction #1: The farm system remains a top-five group even after several graduations.

Baseball America ranked the Cardinals' farm system as the second-best in all of baseball. This is one of the organization's highest rankings ever, trailing only the 2013 squad.

JJ Wetherholt, Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez, Joshua Baez, and Leo Bernal are leading the charge for the Cardinals. Behind them you'll find Jurrangelo Cijntje, Quinn Mathews, Jimmy Crooks, Brandon Clarke, and several other strong prospects.

The Cardinals are likely to graduate JJ Wetherholt, Leo Bernal, Jimmy Crooks, and Quinn Mathews this year. Liam Doyle and Joshua Baez could also graduate depending on how injuries and the trade deadline shake out. That would mean that seven of the Cardinals' top-10 prospects could be off the list by next year, leaving only Cijntje, Rodriguez, and Clarke behind.

However, I would expect the Cardinals to trade several players at the deadline to recoup some of those losses, and Rainiel Rodriguez could be a consensus top-10 prospect if he continues to develop at the rate he has recently, and Jurrangelo Cijntje is already a fringe top-100 prospect. Tanner Franklin, Yhoiker Fajardo, Ryan Mitchell, Deniel Ortiz, and Tai Peete could also take serious steps forward in 2026. I expect the system to slip a little heading into 2027, but I think the Cardinals will still boast one of baseball's five best farms after the 2026 season ends.

Bold Prediction #2: The Cardinals will win the team Gold Glove Award.

The Cardinals won back-to-back team Gold Glove Awards in 2021 and 2022. They've had only one player win since then: Masyn Winn in 2025.

I boldly predict the Cardinals to win this award in 2026 once again. Masyn Winn and Victor Scot II are top defenders at their respective positions. Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman will have stable positions at first base and second base, respectively. JJ Wetherholt will solidify second base, and Pedro Pages will be stout behind the plate as always.

The corner outfield spots could get dicey with Jordan Walker and Nelson Velasquez, but Lars Nootbaar will return eventually, and Nathan Church could take over a starting role if Walker struggles.

A team Gold Glove Award isn't out of the realm of possibilities.

Bold prediction #3: Ivan Herrera will receive MVP votes.

Ivan Herrera became a household name last year thanks to a 136 OPS+ and 19 home runs in only 388 at-bats. He spent the bulk of the season as a designated hitter, and he still accumulated 2.2 bWAR.

Herrera is intent on catching more this year than he did in 2025. That should boost his WAR potential, and him being able to catch even 40% of the time while posting offensive numbers like he did last year should assuredly get him some MVP votes.

He'll have to remain healthy, but a strong offensive season with solid defense behind the plate should do enough for him to get recognition by voters at the end of the year.

Bold prediction #4: Matthew Liberatore becomes a top-30 pitcher.

Among pitchers who threw 150 innings last year, Matthew Liberatore finished 50th according to fWAR with a total of 1.8 Wins Above Replacement.

While being a top-30 pitcher in baseball doesn't necessarily make one an "ace", it does make them a top-tier pitcher and at least a #2 starter for many organizations in baseball. Libby has the potential to do that, and a strong offseason and spring should springboard him into a very good 2026 season.

He has one year of starting under his belt, and he now knows what it takes to throw 150+ innings in a year. His nod as the Opening Day starter proves the Cardinals' trust in him to lead this rotation. Libby has been exceptional this spring, He's thrown 10 innings across three starts, striking out 14 and walking only one hitter so far. He's on the right track to having a solid 2026 season.

The Cardinals are searching for a top-of-the-rotation arm, and Libby could take that next step in 2026 to be their resident ace and a top-30 pitcher in the majors.

Bold prediction #5: The Cardinals make the playoffs!

This is bold enough by itself.

The Cardinals, according to most prediction outlets, are projected to win only 72 games this year. They have less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs. Making the playoffs in 2026 with as inexperienced of a roster as they have would be an excellent kick-off to the rebuild.

It'll probably take 86 wins to make it into the postseason picture, and it would have to be via a Wild Card berth. The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs will be tough competition as always, and the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates will be formidable opponents. However, if luck falls the Cardinals' way, they could sneak their way into the postseason.