Writers' predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals 2026 season

Writer Predictions: Mason Keith (@masonkeith25)

Team MVP: Alec Burleson

I believe we are about to see a breakout season from Burly. He is the team's best left-handed bat and shows elite bat-to-ball ability. He has seen enough MLB at-bats to now put it all together and have a complete approach at the plate. I have been a major advocate for him to be the team's future first baseman, and I believe he is about to show fans why he is the right man for it. He will not be a league MVP candidate. But Burly will be the most consistent player on the roster this year and will be known by fans across the league. 

Breakout Hitter: Jordan Walker

Walker has been another former top prospect to fall from grace. Year in and year out, we continue to deal with failed offensive production, lackluster outfield defense, demotions, and not adapting to changes that have been desired by the organization. He has taken this past offseason very seriously and has spent much time at Driveline to figure out the holes within his swing. This approach has worked for many Cardinals players in the past, and I am predicting he will benefit tremendously from it. I am predicting we see a .270 average, 25 homer season with an OPS starting with .800

Breakout Pitcher: Kyle Leahy 

Leahy has been hyped by the local media as a guy to watch for 2026. The organization has also hinted at his potential and are heavily investing into him being a reliable starter. After seeing his outings this spring training, I am also buying into the hype. Leahy is about to make Cardinals fans feel a sense of relief after suffering through mediocre seasons from Mikolas and Pallante. I think we will finally have a solid mid to back-end starting pitcher going forward.

Bold Prediction: Nelson Velazquez becomes a starting player for the entire season 

Lars Nootbaar is injured for the foreseeable future, left field is wide open for playing time, and DH has no solidified choice to own the role for 2026. Velázquez has all the opportunities in the world to take a starting role with conviction. He will become a mainstay in the lineup and will be a reliable bat throughout the season. When players will be platooning across multiple positions, Velazquez will not be cycled through. His spring training teaser is just the beginning.

2026 Team Summary:

It is a rebuild season. Every baseball fan feels optimistic on Opening Day and believes their team has a chance to make the playoffs. This is not true for me with the Cardinals. Chaim Bloom has established his plan to build for the future and has purposely diminished the chances of this year's team to make any push. Expect a carryover season for players to take the field, develop at the big league level, and for ownership to find new marketing techniques to get fans to the ballpark. The Cardinals will go 74-88 and finish last place in the NL Central. We will get back to October baseball at Busch Stadium eventually. Just not in 2026.