Cardinals broadcaster makes bold 2027 prediction

The St. Louis Cardinals are eliminated from playoff contention. Sure, that sucks. But it shouldn’t take away from what they accomplished this season.

As of September 22, before their game, the Cardinals sit at 76-80 and have played meaningful baseball until their fans yelled, “Wake me up when September ends!” at the ghastly play in the final few weeks. 

The absence of postseason baseball is hard to swallow, especially when it’s for four straight years. Still, the Cardinals did something nobody was expecting this year, and it has certain Redbird announcers giddy about the future. 

Stefan Caray is very happy with the 2026 Cardinals 

During an appearance on Matrix Midwest, Cardinals broadcaster Stefan Caray delivered his thoughts on the team’s 2026 season. 

“They are far ahead of what any rebuild should look like,” Caray said. “They are so far ahead that you’re starting to wonder, ‘Are they gonna be contenders next year in the NL Central?’ and not really just a Wild Card team.” 

Caray continued, “I think the second half of next year could be very different than the last few years. Considering the Cardinals have been off to hot starts, and then lose a little bit of steam and momentum in the second half.” 

Then, Caray took his stance: The Cardinals might flip the script in 2027. 

“I think it’s gonna be the opposite next year,” he said. “I think there’s a chance that you really see a lot of good talent coming up midway through the year, propelling this team forward, and then maybe regaining their rightful place atop the NL Central.” 

Caray makes a great point in saying that the Cardinals will have plenty of talent to promote. So who’s it gonna be? 

The Cardinals have plenty of young studs for Scotty to beam up 

Leading the charge from the Cardinals’ minor league contingent is teenage phenom Rainiel Rodriguez. 

The 19-year-old catcher has posted gaudy numbers since his promotion to Double-A while slating at 4.8 years younger than the average player. 

His .999 OPS and 23 homers reflect the alien-type of hitter that he is, and could be in St. Louis. 

MLB Pipeline projects a 2027 debut, and he could be a prime candidate for late-season reps, similarly to how the Cardinals handled breakout prospects Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal this season. 

On the mound, Liam Doyle has been the southpaw counterpart to Rodriguez’s offensive onslaught. 

This season, while experimenting with a new pitch, Doyle struck out over 11 batters per nine and has an ERA of 3.76. 

He’s also projected to debut next season, but the Cardinals have room to be more aggressive in pitcher promotions, not only due to the sheer amount of pitching talent in the minors, but also because of the lack thereof on the big club. 

Caray believes in next season’s second-half Redbirds, and as the Springfield team continues to march towards a championship, they might win you over, too. 

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