How will the St. Louis Cardinals measure success in 2026?

The easiest and most consistent way to measure team success in any sport is by looking at win-loss records. The more times a team wins, the better their season went. The opposite can be said of losses.

However, the St. Louis Cardinals won't be focusing solely on wins and losses as the barometer of success in the 2026 season.

Bill DeWitt Jr. and Chaim Bloom will be looking beyond the standings when it comes to a successful 2026 season for the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Saturday at the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was asked what it would take for him to see 2026 as a successful season. "There is on some level an understanding that we are not prioritizing the short-term success over what needs to happen in the long term," said Bloom. "Even with that, my mindset is such that you're never going to stop trying to win, and there is some way by which you will always assess where you are by the standings.

"Also, there's the case that we can't let (the standings) distract us from where we need to go. With respect to that bigger goal, regardless of the standings, regardless of what the win total is, we want to see that core continue to take shape, continue to progress," continued Chaim. He spoke about organizational growth and movement towards the long-term goal of continued competition due to a healthy farm system.

President and Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. was asked a very similar question on Sunday in the media room as well. DeWitt's response corroborated Bloom's long-term focus when it comes to a successful 2026 season.

"Obviously, if some of the young guys that are coming up play well and improve, you never know how a season is going to turn out," said DeWitt Jr. "It's hard to quantify, to say what will success be. Obviously, we're building, and success is a winning season, getting our core to do well."

Both Bloom and DeWitt spoke of a "core" of players who need to show growth in 2026 for it to be a successful year. While wins and losses are always nice for a franchise, those won't be the barometer by which the team's POBO and owner grade the season. The grade will instead be focused on growth and development, something that is the focus for the Cardinals next year.

After three consecutive disappointing years when it comes to wins and losses, it's looking like that trend may continue next year. Despite having talented young players like Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera, and Matthew Liberatore, the Cardinals will likely be duking it out near the bottom of the National League Central. That's not necessarily a bad thing so long as these key players — along with those who have yet to debut like JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle — make strides in 2026.

Winning is one of the best ways to bring fans back to the stadium, but winning isn't the primary goal for the Cardinals. Rather, they'll look to improve in terms of player development and organizational growth. Hopefully, those two focuses breed wins in the near future for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans.