2025 MLB Season Recap: St. Louis Cardinals

The Pitching

The Good

While the Cardinals’ offense had its issues, St. Louis is home to some of the best defenders in the game.

Victor Scott II, a plus-plus runner both in the field and on the basepaths, was a Gold Glove finalist this season. No, his .601 OPS wasn’t earth-shattering to say the least. However, the fact that Scott II stuck in the Majors this season and played well in the field highlighted the team’s youth shift.

Masyn Winn, another one of those building blocks, won a Gold Glove.

Winn was one of two award winners this past year. Alec Burleson, one of the more consistent hitters for the Cardinals, cracked 48 extra-base hits and a .801 OPS en route to his first Silver Slugger.

Burleson was one of the Cardinals’ marquee run producers. Willson Contreras, in his first full season as a first baseman, hit 20 home runs and drove in a team-high 80 runs. And Ivan Herrera hit 19 home runs in only 107 games.

St. Louis’ bullpen, meanwhile, was a major strength for much of the 2025 campaign.

Ryan Helsley, before the trade to New York, was once again a valuable stopper for the Cardinals. He struck out 41 over 36, notched 21 saves, and netted the Cardinals several good prospects in return once he was moved.

Aside from Helsley, Phil Maton was an excellent swing-and-miss pitcher, complementing the hard-throwing Helsley with his high-80s cutter and plus breaking stuff.

The Cardinals also received strong returns from the likes of Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero, and Matt Svanson, all of whom were vital for the team after trading away Maton and Helsley.

Romero emerged as an important arm two years ago as a matchup lefty. Both Romero and Riley O’Brien, a hard-throwing righty who can saw off hitters with a blistering sinker, shared the closing duties over the final few weeks.

And then there’s Svanson, who finished in the top 10 in wOBA (.225, depending on how it’s calculated) last season among relievers. Svanson was acquired two years for Paul DeJong from the Blue Jays. A three-pitch reliever, Svanson struck out 68 over 60.1 IP as a rookie.

The Bad

The Cardinals were one of the worst power-hitting teams in baseball this past season, a far cry from a few years ago when Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt were playing at MVP levels. Now, things have changed.

One of the players who was supposed to help usher in a new era nearly three years ago was Jordan Walker, a former first-rounder who had natural raw power, coupled with a hitter’s strike that a team could dream on. Heading into 2026. the calculus for Walker’s future is complicated.

Walker, in his first MLB season, posted the second-worst wOBA (.260) in the Majors among hitters with 350+ plate appearances last year. He only slashed .215/.278/.306 with 126 strikeouts over 111 games.

The 23-year-old struggled mightily against breaking balls, although the same can be said for offspeed, as well. Despite plus bat speed and raw power, he ranked as one the most egregious chasers and swing-and-miss hitters in the game.

Walker was one of seven Cardinals to have a sub-.700 OPS last season. Nolan Arenado posted a .666 OPS in an injury-shortened campaign. Pedro Pages, who took over as the team’s primary catcher, posted a .635 OPS. Pages did, however, hold his own as a receiver.

As for the pitching staff, it ranked as one of the worst swing-and-miss staffs in baseball.

That can be attributed to the fact that St. Louis’ pitching staff, particularly their rotation, was laden with “junk” pitchers who love to pound the zone. Think Miles Mikolas, Michael McGreevy, and Andre Pallante, the latter of whom has one of the most unique, cutting four-seamers in the game today.

However, none of those pitchers were high strikeout or swing-and-miss pitchers. Out of the 11 starting pitchers (min. 90 IP) at the bottom of K/9, four were Cardinals: McGreevy, Mikolas, Pallante, and Erick Fedde.

While that model can work with a good defensive team — and the Cardinals have made strides over the past few seasons to improve in that regard — it’s tough to win games when bleeding hits and well-hit contact. The Cardinals ranked in the bottom half of the league in Barrel%.

Early Projected Lineup for 2026

• C: Pedro Pages/Jimmy Crooks
• 1B: Willson Contreras
• 2B: Brendan Donovan
• 3B: Nolan Arenado
• SS: Masyn Winn
• OF: Lars Nootbaar (LF), Victor Scott II (CF), Alec Burleson (RF)
• DH: Ivan Herrera
• SP: Sonny Gray, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, [ADDITION/[PROMOTION]
• RP: Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero, Matt Svanson, Kyle Leahy, Ryan Fernandez, Gordon Graceffo, Andre Granillo, Chris Roycroft

With new management in St. Louis — as Chaim Bloom is now officially running baseball operations for the Cardinals — this list above will likely change.

Nolan Arenado may very well be moved. The same can be said for Brendan Donovan, who has two years of control remaining and would be a strong add for several contenders. However, perhaps the most interesting trade target is Sonny Gray.

Gray pitched fine overall, as he struck out 201 batters for the Cardinals last season. The 36-year-old has one year left on the deal he signed two winters ago, along with a club option that’s technically a player option with how his specific contract works.

If the Cardinals are in a rebuild — which they are — a trade would make a lot of sense.