As 2026 draws to a close, the Cardinals should heed lessons from 2006

Just one week ago, the St. Louis Cardinals – and those among the Best Fans in Baseball who were lucky enough to attend – feted the 2006 Cardinals team that went on a magical postseason run, culminating in the team’s first World Series title in 24 years.

It’s incredible that it has somehow already been twenty years since that World Series win. I still remember living abroad as an 18-year-old, watching Game 7 of the NLCS against the Mets at three in the morning, surrounded by dozens of New York natives. I annoyed everyone around me by constantly pointing out that Jeff Suppan (really!) was nails in the postseason, and lost my mind after Yadier Molina’s homer and Adam Wainwright’s fateful curve to Carlos Beltran.

It was a historic team, one that deserves all of the praise heaped on it last week. That team also offers an important lesson for the 2026 edition of the Cardinals.

The 2006 Cardinals had a healthy balance of homegrown player and outside additions

Like this 2026 squad, the 2006 roster had strong homegrown contributors. Albert Pujols, already a superstar, finished second in MVP voting that year after contributing 8.5 WAR and hitting .331 with 49 home runs.  Molina, a future Hall of Famer, provided stellar defense behind the plate and his NLCS-winning homer provided hints to his future hitting progression.

And it wasn’t just the two legends. Chris Duncan provided 1.8 WAR and offered depth to the lineup, while Wainwright (not technically homegrown but, come on, he came up through the system) famously closed out the World Series.

But the team was also littered with impact players from outside the organization. Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter and Jim Edmonds – all pivotal stars who came from elsewhere. The team that was honored last week offered a perfect blend of a homegrown core supplemented with outside stars.

It’s a blend I hope Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations, was paying close attention to.

Pujols and Molina aren’t walking through those clubhouse doors. (Well, except for future home openers while wearing their new red jackets.)  But the team has put together an exciting and intriguing homegrown core. Jordan Walker’s ascension this year offers a hopeful example of the player we all hoped he could be. Alec Burleson has provided surprisingly good defense at first base while anchoring the lineup. JJ Wetherholt will receive Rookie of the Year votes.

On the pitching side, Kyle Leahy has rewarded the team’s faith in him as a starter, Andre Pallante bounced back from a disastrous 2025, and Michael McGreevy looks like a solid bottom-of-the-rotation starter. Quinn Matthews looks ready to grab a starting slot next year.

Others who have joined the team have provided a jolt, as well as a tantalizing prospect at what the future might hold. In the past few months alone we’ve seen Joshua Baez’s stunning debut, Thomas Saggese’s impactful return to the big leagues, and Leo Bernal look like the catcher of not only the future, but now the present.

For the first time in a while, the team’s cupboard does not feel bare. Prospects like Jesus Baez, Rainiel Rodriguez, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Liam Doyle, and Tanner Franklin offer real hope for years to come.

But the team cannot rely solely on homegrown players. As the team’s contention window begins to open, outside additions will be necessary, even if that requires a large financial commitment. Whether via free agency or trade, the Cardinals will need to supplement this exciting core with an outside star or two.

Saggese’s strong month notwithstanding, the team needs a third baseman. The rotation and the bullpen could use some help. There are possibly homegrown answers for these questions, but reinforcements from outside Memphis and Springfield will be key if this team truly hopes to contend.

It may not be next year, although it should be. But as the team finishes celebrating its successful past, it needs to take those lessons as it looks to the future.

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