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Cardinals Supposed 'Biggest Problem' Isn’t a Real Issue

May 4, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) lays down a bunt against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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Cardinals Supposed 'Biggest Problem' Isn’t a Real Issue

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jun 1, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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There are few glaring holes for the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals. That doesn't mean that the club is a contender right now, but there aren't many significant holes on the roster.

The Cardinals are 31-26 on the season so far and in second place in the National League Central. That's not all, though. If the 2026 season were to end today, the Cardinals would be in the playoffs. St. Louis has the No. 2 National League Wild Card spot just over two months into the campaign. The San Diego Padres have the No. 1 Wild Card spot and the Arizona Diamondbacks have the No. 3 spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are both tied with the Diamondbacks, but are on the outside looking in. The Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals are both one game out of a playoff spot. The Philadelphia Phillies are just 1 1/2 games out of a spot. The National League is a juggernaut right now, to say the least, but the Cardinals have been able to stand out.

The Cardinals could obviously get better and arguably, the biggest weakness for the team remains the bullpen. Right now, the Cardinals have the No. 18 bullpen ERA in baseball at 4.23. That needs to get better if the Cardinals want to try to make a run. While this is the case, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller made the case that the "biggest problem" for St. Louis actually is center field.

The Cadinals Outfield Is Going To Be Fine In The Long Run

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

"St. Louis Cardinals: Center Field," Miller wrote. "Because of his range on defense and his base-stealing ability, the Cardinals have given Victor Scott II a long leash to try to prove that he can hit MLB pitching. However, his value added on defense is nowhere near what it was last season, he has been caught stealing in four of 11 attempts and what he is proving thus far in 2026 is that he can't reliably get on base, flirting with dead last in the majors in both OBP and OPS.

"If they're in it to win it, they simply have to call up Joshua Báez, right? He has as many home runs (nine) in his last 14 games at Triple-A Memphis as Scott has in his 243-game MLB career."

Arguably, center field is not the club's biggest issue. Scott is in the 87th percentile in outs above averag e. His defense is very valuable in itself.

He hasn't been good offensively. There's no denying that. He's batting .186 on the season. That's not going to cut it. His defense has been good enough to keep him in the mix, though. If things don't shift, the club is going to be just fine because other options will be available soon. Center field arguably isn't the club's biggest problem in part because Lars Nootbaar's return to St. Louis is imminent. He began his minor league rehab assignment on May 15 and the 20-day clock will expire this week. He's somebody who easily could get time in center field if the club wanted. If not, he'll help to bolster the club's offense anyway out in left field. The Cardinals have made it this far with Scott thriving defensively but not doing much offensively. When Nootbaar returns, the overall outfield is just going to get better.

Nathan Church is on the Injured List right now, but he's someone who also could help in center field when he's ready to return.

This isn't to say Scott's offense has been good, or anything like that. But the club is about to have other outfield options and will be fine in the long run. The bullpen, on the other hand, needs some more work.

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

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