Sep 7, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (18) runs to second base against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

2 Biggest Storylines To Conclude Cardinals' Regular Season

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have just six games left in what has felt like a roller coaster of a regular season.

The Cardinals have looked like a playoff teams at times, has looked like the worst team in the National League Central at times, and overall will finish right around .500. That makes sense with the amount of inconsistency the team has had. The Cardinals have a 76-80 record right now. The Cardinals need to win all six of their remaining games to finish above .500. If they can go 5-1, they would finish at 81-81.

We'll see what happens, but this has been wild for the Cardinals. Despite the fact that the Cardinals are going to miss out out on the playoffs, there are still things to watch out for.

Here are two things to follow down the stretch for St. Louis:

The St. Louis Cardinals have some things to watch out for

Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Check out Cardinals veterans for potentially the final time
These next six games will give Cardinals fans the chance to watch some big-name players for potentially the final time with the organization. Guys like Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras come to mind. All have no-trade clauses, but will at least be mentioned in trade chatter once the offseason gets here. It's unclear who will be back, but it will be nice to at least see these guys in Cardinals jerseys. There's no way to know for sure who will be back. Make the most out of this week.

Which "Runway" guy will finish the season strong?
Alec Burleson has been great this season and has stood above every other player who could be considered a "runway" guy. He wasn't even in that conversation at first, but forced the conversation with his play. Specifically, guys like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman are worth watching now. Who gets consistent at-bats over the next week? Will either of these guys make the most of it and give the team a chance to bring them back as a part of the core moving forward?

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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