An open plea for the St. Louis Cardinals to capitalize on career seasons

There is no number of top prospects or wonderful trades that can outweigh the feeling a franchise, its players, and its fans get from winning a World Series. While the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals are far from favorites to win the Fall Classic, they are somehow putting together a season that is better than what most expected out of them. However, there's a growing sentiment that the Cardinals should build for the future rather than take advantage of career seasons from several regulars.

JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker are all having some of their best seasons at the plate and in the field.

Jordan Walker already has 18 home runs and a 139 wRC+. JJ Wetherholt has 12 home runs, is a Gold Glove candidate, and leads all rookies in fWAR. Alec Burleson has become a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat with a 134 wRC+ and 57 RBIs. Ivan Herrera is posting a career-best on-base rate with double-digit home runs.

The St. Louis Cardinals should do a soft buy at the deadline to capitalize on strong seasons from several players.

If the Cardinals decide to sell at this year's deadline, they'll do so with the hope that prospects such as Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, Quinn Mathews, and Joshua Baez all come up and do well. Given the fact that not one of these top prospects has seen any time in the majors thus far, there isn't much promise that they'll fulfill their top prospect billing. Cardinals fans are no strangers to top prospects falling flat in the majors.

The impending Collective Bargaining Agreement is also a factor when the Cardinals consider their moves at this year's deadline. The 2027 season could be shortened or even lost. If that is the case, that's a year of prime performance gone for several of these young players.

Pitching is the clear need for the Cardinals this year. With Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, and other high-end pitchers potentially on the market, the Cardinals could make a big splash. This would cost several of the organization's top prospects, something Chaim Bloom might be adverse to doing. The second tier of pitchers that includes Reid Detmers, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and the Cardinals' own Dustin May could be more appealing for the Cardinals.

The reliever market is also full of valuable late-inning arms to be had for relatively cheap, and pitching should be the primary focus for the Cardinals if they choose to buy.

Since 2018, there have been an average of three top-100 prospects traded each year at the MLB trade deadline according to Baseball America. Considering the Cardinals have three top-100 prospects according to Baseball America (Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez, and Joshua Baez) along with one of baseball's best farm systems, the club has plenty to dip into without hurting the farm.

With six picks in the first 86 selections in the 2026 MLB Draft, there will be plenty of reinforcements coming should the Cardinals choose to deal from their treasure trove of prospects.

The Cardinals' new CEO, Bill DeWitt III, said himself that he's been pleasantly surprised by the team's performance this year. "But this team has been fun to watch...Maybe we're a little ahead of where we thought," said DeWitt at a press conference on Wednesday. "Still a long way to go, but if they can keep this up, it could change how we think about things."

Cardinals fans haven't seen a playoff win since 2020. They haven't won a playoff series since 2019 when they beat the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series. Fans have been itching for postseason success, and drawing a home series by virtue of being in the first Wild Card spot, a position they're currently in, could help them make a run in the postseason.

Fans have slowly begun returning to Busch Stadium, and they're itching for good baseball in St. Louis once again. Thanks for the top half of the lineup, the Cardinals finally seem to have a direction.

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