6 Cardinals players who need to improve before it's too late

The bullpen needs to improve before it's too late

It's impossible to really pinpoint one or two relievers for this list that need to get better to save the Cardinals' season, but the overall unit has been underwhelming in the second half. The Cardinals' bullpen has largely been the team's calling card throughout the year, and the team is relying upon them to perform well throughout the stretch given the number of close games it plays.

Now, if the hitters on this list can step up, it may make the jobs of the relievers easier, but the bullpen still needs to step up in big situations for the team to continue its success. Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley has not been as dominant in the second half, and other key contributors such as JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez have wavered as well.

They also failed to bring in meaningful reinforcements at the trade deadline, so it doesn't seem like they'll be getting much help externally. The Cardinals did bring in Shawn Armstrong from Tampa Bay in the Dylan Carlson trade, but it doesn't seem that he can be an impact bullpen piece. The Cardinals have deferred to other names, such as Kyle Leahy and Chris Roycroft, in high-leverage situations over Armstrong, so a more impactful move could've been beneficial.

Riley O'Brien was recently activated off the injured list, but rather than return to St. Louis to help the Major League club, he was optioned to Memphis. O'Brien showed off his tantalizing fastball in Spring Training, but again, he feels like a name the Cardinals don't have the most trust in. In order for the Cardinals to have any chance of contending throughout the second half, they'll need their bullpen to be razor-sharp with very little margin for error. They did it in the first half, so it's not impossible.