John Mozeliak deserves recognition for the St. Louis Cardinals' 2026 success

John Mozeliak's departure was met with elation by many of the St. Louis Cardinals faithful. Him moving on from the role of president of baseball operations was a sign of new life and a new direction for a franchise that had become roiled in mediocrity for years. However, the Cardinals' early success in the 2026 season is at least partially due to Mozeliak's efforts prior to his departure.

Of the 26 primary players this year, only six were acquired by Chaim Bloom: Jared Shuster, Dustin May, Ryne Stanek, Justin Bruihl, George Soriano, and Ramon Urias. The primary contributors to the Cardinals' success this year were drafted and developed by John Mozeliak and his team from 2020 through 2025.

John Mozeliak should get at least some credit for the St. Louis Cardinals early success in 2026.

It's important to note here that the player development team as a whole has improved dramatically since the end of the 2024 season, perhaps the beginning of Chaim Bloom's true impact on the organization. Rob Cerfolio, Matt Pierpont, and Carl Kochan, among many others, were all brought on at that point as directors of various levels in the front office.

The coaching staff was also expanded across the minor leagues over the last 12 months. This expansion of coaching was a rectification of the cuts that happened coming out of COVID, cuts that happened at the behest of John Mozeliak. Instead of prioritizing player development, player acquisition was placed at the forefront of Mozeliak's plan. This hurt the long-term health of the organization, something we have seen in action these past three years.

Not only have the Cardinals added to the staff, but they've also invested heavily in technology to support players. An improved weight room, force plates, Trajekt machines, and several other high-tech advancements are now present in Jupiter, Florida, to assist players in their development. This facility was started by Mozeliak's team, but Chaim Bloom was at the helm when construction was completed.

John Mozeliak's 2020 draft class, one that featured Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Alec Burleson, has often been touted as one of his best in recent years. Each of these players is having a productive 2026 season.

Mozeliak's trades were also strong in his final few years. He managed to nab Riley O'Brien, a top reliever in all of baseball so far this year, for pennies on the dollar. Matt Svanson, a reliable reliever last year who has yet to find his touch this year, was a nice consolation prize during the 2023 sell-off.

Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy, Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera, and Nathan Chuch were all drafted while Mozeliak was at the helm. Most importantly, John Mozeliak and his team had the foresight and ability to draft second baseman JJ Wetherholt, a top rookie in the 2026 class.

Perhaps John Mozeliak’s most important move wasn’t acquiring a player or adding to the front office — it was hiring Oli Marmol as manager. Based on this year’s success, that decision continues to pay off, and Chaim Bloom’s extension of Marmol only reinforces it.

Chaim Bloom has done plenty of work in a few short months to get the Cardinals back on track. Their 21-14 record to start the year is due to his work behind the scenes, a very solid coaching staff, and hard work being put in by the players. However, let's not forget John Mozeliak's contributions prior to his departure. Without John Mozeliak's drafts and final few trades, there would be holes on this roster, a group that is finding success early in 2026.

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