Cardinals Writer Urges Fans To Acknowledge John Mozeliak's Success

"The past three seasons have been rough — and the minor league system eroded. I wrote numerous columns last year that said Mo needed to go. But listen. With his replacement ready and the Cards playing their final homestand of 2025, I must state this loudly: John Mozeliak also deserves respect for his accomplishments in St. Louis," Hochman wrote.

"You can dislike Mo, blame Mo, tweet about Mo, make memes about Mo — or whatever you do to express frustration in a social media world — but you also must recognize what he did to provide you the best of times."

Hochman's point is certainly fair. Mozeliak had plenty of success after taking over for Hall-of-Fame executive Walt Jocketty in 2008. He led the Cardinals to six NL Central titles, two National League pennants, a World Series championship, and four Wild Card berths. He also made several very impactful moves to improve the team.

However, criticism is also fair. Fans have been frustrated with Mozeliak for years and have been calling for change in the front office. Mozeliak has not only stopped short of building a true World Series contender in recent years, but also rebuilding when the time came to do so. Now, that task is left to Chaim Bloom, who takes over at the end of the 2025 season.

Bloom will almost certainly do things differently, but fans will hope that he at least picks a direction and sticks with it as the Cardinals begin a new era in 2026. The time has come for change, and fans are eager for it, even if it isn't pretty at first.