It's official, we now know the St. Louis Cardinals slate of games for the 2026 season.
The Cardinals dropped their 162-game schedule for the 2026 season on Tuesday, along with the reset of baseball, and so fans got to get a glimpse into what the year would look like for the Redbirds. The full schedule can be seen in the tweet below.
The 2026 schedule for the St. Louis Cardinals is out! We're once again excited to join you for the ride for another season of baseball coverage! Which matchups are you most looking forward to? #STLCards pic.twitter.com/zOoK5ZlB2e
— Dealin' the Cards (@DealinTheCards) August 26, 2025
The Cardinals 2026 schedule has fun matchups, but not enough NL Central action
The Cardinals are set to open up the 2026 season at home for the fifth time in seven seasons against the Tampa Bay Rays. This is the third time they will open up against an American League opponent at home.
That matchup with the Rays is especially interesting considering that it will be the first series of the Chaim Bloom era, who began his baseball career in Tampa Bay and will be looking to bring many of those principles to the Cardinals' organization. Due to the balanced schedule that MLB moved to in recent years, the Cardinals will play every team in baseball at least once. From the American League, the Cardinals will face the Rays at home, along with the Red Sox, Guardians, Mariners, Royals, Rangers, Orioles, and White Sox next season. All other American League opponents will be faced on the road.
When it comes to division matchups, those happen fewer and farther between in today's game. This first matchup against an NL Central team will come against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of April, and their final two series of the season will come on the road in Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.
The Cardinals will play the Cubs for the first time in late May twice in July, and once in August. This is how things go every year now, just four series against their arch rivals, but it still doesn't sit right with me. Even as someone who likes that teams now face each other more often, I think we are losing a major component of what makes the MLB regular season so special by cutting down on division play.
Game times and what platforms games will be broadcast on will not be announced until this winter, but for now, we get a glimpse at what kind of schedule the Cardinals will be dealing with next season.