Cardinals Must Fix This Bullpen Problem Fast

Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) throws in relief in the sixth inning in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

Cardinals Must Fix This Bullpen Problem Fast

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 6:30 PM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals took down the Houston Astros on Friday and will try to do so again on Saturday night with Andre Pallante heading to the mound.

There's a lot going right for St. Louis right now. The Cardinals are 11-8 heading into Saturday's tilt. That's a better record than any team in the American League Central or American League West. The Tampa Bay Rays have an 11-8 record over in the American League East and the Yankees have a 12-9 record.

Despite the fact that the Cardinals have an 11-8 record, they aren't even in first place in their own division. The Cincinnati Reds are 13-8 on the season so far. The Milwaukee Brewers are 12-8 right now. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cardinals both are at 11-8. The Chicago Cubs are in last place at 11-9.

The Cardinals Could Be Even Better

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If you look at this roster, the Cardinals are getting production from all over the place and simply put, they are playing good overall baseball. There is one flaw that arguably is holding the club back a bit right now and that is the bullpen.

The Cardinals have four bright spots in Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, George Soriano and Gordon Graceffo. Neither O'Brien nor Romero has allowed an earned run yet. Soriano has a 2.00 ERA in eight appearances. Graceffo has a 1.08 ERA in six appearances. These four have been great, but the overall bullpen needs more firepower. That is because the rest of the group is struggling. Justin Bruihl has a 7.20 ERA in 11 outings. Matt Svanson had a 13.97 ERA in eight outings. Ryne Stanek had an 8.64 ERA in nine appearances.

It's a tale of two bullpens, essentially. With O'Brien, Romero, Soriano and Graceffo, the Cardinals have had success. But they can't pitch every single game. The Cardinals are fortunate to have them doing well, but they then can't have a handful of guys with an ERA above 7.00. You're going to struggle in the long run if you have to rely too heavily on just a few guys.

If the four guys who are thriving are overused, what if they end up taking a step backwards? The Cardinals have been really good this season, despite half the bullpen struggling. At some point, it's going to be more of an issue. O'Brien and Romero aren't going to have 0.00 ERAs forever. Right now, the Cardinals need to figure something out with the rest of the bullpen.

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

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