Former Cardinals depth arm is guaranteed a World Series ring this year

One interesting thing about MLB is that any player who is on the major league roster for at least one game gets honored if that team wins a World Series. That player may not have even stepped onto the field for the champion, but is still going to be listed on team rosters and receive a ring commemorating their title run.

The St. Louis Cardinals are obviously not going to have any of their currently rostered players meeting that criteria, but one former Cardinal is in the best possible situation heading into the Rays/Brewers World Series. Old friend Jake Woodford, who spent time with the Cardinals from 2015-2023, had short stints with both Tampa and Milwaukee this year and, despite his minimal contributions, will always be able to point to the 2026 World Series ring with either team's logo.

Jake Woodford will receive a World Series ring even though the former Cardinal is not on either team's postseason roster

The 29-year-old Jake Woodford will be turning 30 right as the World Series concludes, and what better gift to receive than a heavy ring full of jewels commemorating your title? Of course, being on the mound for either Tampa or Milwaukee and closing out a franchise's first championship could be a better 30th birthday gift than the ring. This year, the former Cardinal played in just 19 games at the big league level, with 16 coming in Milwaukee and just one in Tampa. All told, Woodford chipped in 24.2 innings for the contenders, notching both a win and a save during his time with the Brewers. In Tampa, Woodford lasted just one game but can still benefit if the expansion team is able to seal the deal.

Any competitor will tell you they would much rather be a major contributor towards a title run than receive a piece of jewelry that was not completely earned. Major league baseball players are some of the best in the world, so it is still something to say that they were a member of the actual last team standing in any given year. This happened in St. Louis in 2011 when the Cardinals distributed an additional 28 rings to players who were not on the World Series roster.

That tally includes players like Adam Wainwright, who missed the entire season due to injury; Maikel Cleto; Brandon Dickson; P.J. Walters; Raul Valdes; Bryan Augenstein; and Andrew Brown. Those players combined to play in just 31 games for the 2011 champions but will forever be able to point to that historic season in St. Louis. While these players do ultimately receive a ring, they are not technically considered World Series champions on their Baseball Reference page since they were not on the roster at the time the title was won.

Without talking to these players directly, I cannot speak to what it means to still receive a ring, even if they were with the team for a short time. Every player's ultimate goal is to win the World Series title, so I would guess that some players are not fully appreciative of the jewelry. However, with this year's Fall Classic ending with a first-time winner, Jake Woodford will hold a piece of history for a franchise that will never win their first title again.

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