Albert Pujols believes the Cardinals are on the verge of a 'big jump'

When Albert Pujols speaks, St. Louis Cardinals fans listen, and he had some high praise for the organization on a recent episode of FanSided's The Baseball Insiders podcast.

When talking to FanSided's Adam Weinrib, representing Cologuard for their "Mind Your Behind" campaign, Pujols was asked about his thoughts on the Cardinals' future, and he was very optimistic about what they were able to accomplish in 2026 and what it means for the future.

"I love what Oli [Marmol] and the front office did this year," Pujols told Weinrib. "I think they were full of young players. I believe they're going to be good for a while. I think they're going to bring a couple of veteran guys in, probably in the pitching side, that are going to help them to make that big jump. But I was really excited. I was able to cover them for like two or three games this year, working with the [MLB] Network, and I love what I saw.

I think the confidence that Oli Marmol gave those young players, the adjustment that Jordan Walker was able to make at the plate, was pretty special. And then the big news, you know, of Joshua Baez getting into the big leagues. What an unbelievable start of his career. And I know he didn't finish the season healthy, but that's a young player that we're going to be talking about for a long time, hopefully, if he stays healthy. So, I'm really excited and so is Cardinal Nation. I'm sure they're really excited about the upcoming year, knowing that they have a really good, young, talented team that are going to help hopefully to win another title.

Albert Pujols expects the Cardinals to take a big jump as they head into future

While it was unclear how soon Pujols believed the Cardinals would make this 'big jump', he really did seem to believe that their bright future was right around the corner, specifically naming the work that Marmol and the front office have done, alongside breakouts from players like Walker and Baez.

Depending on which Cardinals fan you talk to, some are very displeased with the job Marmol has done guiding the big league club, while others are skeptical about Chaim Bloom's rebuilding efforts thus far. Most fans, I think, agree with Pujols that the club is trending in the right direction, though his bullishness on how quickly that may turn around is very exciting.

Pujols discussed the Cardinals adding a few veteran arms to their pitching staff, something that seems likely given their bullpen needs and increased financial flexibility this winter. I don't see them making major additions, but stabilizing their pitching some more while these young players mature and more prospects debut can help them propel them into contention as soon as 2027.

It's also reassuring to hear Pujols believe the Cardinals are heading toward sustained success again. Not just a flash in the pan, but Pujols sees the Cardinals are building something special that can get them into the thick of October baseball again for years to come.

While I know fans would love to see Pujols return to manage the Cardinals, that doesn't seem likely anytime soon, but hopefully he's willing to do more spots like this in the future so fans can hear his perspective on the team.

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