Lefty Grove caps a historic 31‑win, 2.06 ERA season with the inaugural BBWAA American League MVP award on Oct. 28, 2026. The Philadelphia Athletics ace outduels Lou Gehrig, leading the league in wins, strikeouts (175), complete games (27), shutouts (4) and WHIP (1.077) while posting a 16‑game winning streak. His 10.4 WAR remains one of only 22 Live‑Ball Era seasons at that level. Grove’s dominance helped the A’s secure a third straight AL pennant, though they fall to the Cardinals in the World Series. The Hall of Fame notes his career totals of 300‑141, 3.06 ERA and two pitching Triple Crowns.
The Cardinals, now in Chaim Bloom’s second season, are sticking to a long‑term pitching rebuild while confronting glaring gaps in left, center and third base. With only the JJ Wetherholt extension on the books, they have payroll flexibility to add outfield help, yet they appear reluctant to chase a stop‑gap center‑fielder, preferring rookie Joshua Báez in left and letting Nathan Church and Victor Scott II battle for center until prospects Tai Peete and Josiah Ragsdale arrive. Church posted a .247/.290/.364 line with 10 homers, while Scott struggled at .193/.270/.253. Off‑season speculation includes right‑handed options like Tyrone Taylor or Myles Straw to bolster the platoon mix.
Nathan Church stepped up and took over center field when Victor Scott II faltered, but his game lacks the kind of potential you'd want from one of the most important positions in the game.
Dustin May is the Milwaukee Brewers starter in their potential World Series clinching Game 4 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, and if they win tonight, it adds a whole other layer to this very interesting trade the St. Louis Cardinals made with the Brewers
The Houston Astros release veteran outfielder Nelson Velazquez, who will now chase a contract in Asia, MLB Trade Rumors reports. Velazquez, 27, posted a .722 OPS in 34 games with the St. Louis Cardinals before being claimed off waivers by Houston, where he went 3-for-27 with two homers and a 30% strikeout rate. After a brief stint, he cleared waivers, elected free agency, and signed a minor‑league deal before being let go. In 728 MLB plate appearances he has 37 homers but a low .221 ISO and defensive struggles (-4 DRS).
St. Louis Cardinals' star rookie JJ Wetherholt is the team's nomination for this year's Heart and Hustle Award, and he needs fans to vote for him to have a chance.
Hurston Waldrep’s promising late‑2025 surge evaporates in 2026 as injuries derail his Braves rotation chances. The 2023 first‑round pick, who posted a 68/79/89 line over 56⅓ innings in 2025 and earned a chance to fill a depth‑starved rotation, suffers elbow discomfort in February, undergoes surgery, and later requires Tommy John surgery after a brief, ineffective MLB stint (0.3 fWAR in 10⅔ innings). His three 2026 outings – a scoreless debut versus the Giants, a middling start against the Cardinals, and a rough turn versus the Pirates – underscore the lost momentum and raise doubts about his future role.
Cubs President Jed Hoyer has now acquired right‑hander Aaron Civile twice, turning him into a surprisingly effective reliever. After a brief, strong stint with Chicago in September 2025 (2.08 ERA, 0.538 WHIP, 0.3 bWAR in 13 innings), Civile struggled with Oakland (5.42 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) before the Cubs traded prospect Aiden Moffett for him on July 18, 2026. Since returning, he has logged 36.2 innings across 18 appearances with a 1.77 ERA, 1.064 WHIP, two homers allowed and 33 strikeouts, including a July 30 save versus the Cardinals. At 32, he could be a valuable set‑up man for 2027, and the author suggests a $4 M one‑year deal with a $6 M option for 2028.
After Brant Brown's dismissal, the St. Louis Cardinals are looking for a new hitting coach. Casey Chenoweth is a strong possibility, but whoever it is will have an especially large impact on the team's offensive future.
On October 27, 2026, Over the Monster marks the 22nd anniversary of Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, when the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3‑0 at Busch Stadium to break an 86‑year championship drought. The post recalls the author’s childhood memory of watching the historic win from Quincy, Massachusetts, and invites fans to share their own celebrations of the curse‑ending triumph.
Chaim Bloom thinks Jesus Baez can be the St. Louis Cardinals shortstop long-term, putting pressure on Masyn Winn to prove why he's the guy in 2027. Baez has major power and good defense that gives him a higher ceiling than what Winn has shown so far.
The Viva El Birdos piece dissects the St. Louis Cardinals’ disappointing 2026 season, blaming a lack of power and overall offensive weakness for the team’s low rankings—22nd in average and OBP, 29th in OPS, and 24th in home runs. The article notes the surprise firing of hitting coach Brant Brown and speculates on successors like Casey Chenoweth or Brandon Allen. It highlights key power players (Baez, Walker, Burleson, Bernal) and the decline of others such as Ivan Herrera and JJ Wetherholt, whose injuries and reduced ISO hurt run production. Defensive fundamentals remain a hallmark, but a shift toward swing‑and‑miss pitching under Chaim Bloom is also examined.
The 2020 World Series opens with back‑to‑back one‑run games for the first time since 2010, as the Tampa Bay Rays take a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. Game 1 saw Texas edge St. Louis 3‑2, and the Cardinals returned the favor 2‑1 in Game 2. The last series with consecutive one‑run openings was in 2000, when the Yankees swept the Mets. Only four champions have ever won all four games by a single run—Boston (1915, 1918), the 1972 A’s, and the 1992 Blue Jays. Tonight’s matchup, a must‑win for the Rays, kicks off at 5 p.m. on FOX.
St. Louis Cardinals prospect Miguel Hernandez may not be known by many yet, but he has the potential to be one of their best prospects in short order. The 18 year old had an incredible season and Baseball America nad other outlets are noticing.
The Houston Astros are set to interview longtime Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo on Monday for their vacant general manager role, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Rizzo, who led the Nats to a World Series title in 2019, is the most seasoned candidate among a pool that includes Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine (who has already met with Houston), White Sox assistant Josh Barfield, Cardinals assistant Randy Flores, Royals SVP Scott Sharp, and Braves assistant Ben Sestanovich, as well as Astros assistants Charles Cook and Gavin Dickey. At 65, Rizzo brings proven success but faces questions about his adaptability to modern analytics, while younger contenders offer fresh perspectives.
In Episode 88 of the Viva El Birdos podcast (Oct 26 2026), Cardinals right‑handed pitching prospect Jacob Odle recounts his unexpected rise from junior‑college standout to MLB Draft League player and his eventual selection by St. Louis. He shares draft‑day anecdotes, training life in Florida—including a customized workout schedule and a weekly book club on decision‑making—and connections with fellow Southern‑California draftees Ariel Armis (Cubs) and Jacob Christian (Giants). Listeners get an inside look at Odle’s development regimen and mindset as he tackles the next step toward a major‑league career.
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of baseball's youngest and most homegrown teams. 101ESPN's Brandon Kiley pointed out that the Rays and Brewers, although homegrown as well, make lots of outside additions.
Left‑handed reliever Robby Ahlstrom made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers in 2026 after years of prospect hype and command struggles in the minors. Acquired from the Yankees in a 2022 trade, he refined his control at Round Rock, walking just 8 of 116 batters early in the season. Called up on June 1, Ahlstrom retired all four Cardinals hitters in his first appearance and held a 0.00 ERA through his first nine outings, but his performance later wavered, spiking to a 7.07 ERA after a rough June‑July stretch and again after the All‑Star break, including a September 2 outing against the Athletics where he surrendered three runs and two homers. The piece reviews his volatile season and the Rangers’ bullpen context.
Matthew Liberatore couldn't improve on his solid 2025 season this year, instead proving to the Cardinals that he'll likely never live up to his billing as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.
The author weighs the slim odds of the St. Louis Cardinals signing reliever Adrian Morejon, noting his elite 2‑WAR value and 28‑year‑old status. Using Fangraphs data, he estimates a contract around 5 years for $75‑$80 million—significantly higher than $50 million but below closer‑in closer Edwin Díaz’s $100 million deal. Morejon’s recent stats (70 games, 74.1 IP, 2.58 ERA, 2.1 fWAR) suggest he could dramatically improve the Cardinals’ struggling bullpen, though his lack of name recognition and the steep price raise concerns. The piece outlines pros and cons of the potential free‑agent move.
The Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet ranks the 10 hottest prospects over the past week, headlined by Cardinals outfielder Tai Peete.
The post Ranking The 10 Hottest Arizona Fall League Prospects | Hot Sheet (10/26/26) appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America .
Players like Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, and Lou Brock headline an all-time St. Louis Cardinals World Series team.
The St. Louis Cardinals had a great 2026 season -- on the field and in the broadcast booth. Chip Caray and Brad Thompson led the way to being ranked third in baseball broadcasts via household ratings.
St. Louis Cardinals prospect Tai Peete just became the first player in the Arizona Fall League to triple in four straight games since at least 2005. He's been on fire.
Viva El Birdos breaks down the St. Louis Cardinals’ projected 2027 lineup as General Manager Chaim Bloom hints at limited offseason moves. The author rates JJ Wetherholt, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera as Tier 1, expecting them to anchor a potent top of the order after a solid 2026 showing. Jordan Walker and Leo Bernal land in Tier 2, with Walker praised for playing through discomfort. Early-season confidence is high for Nathan Church starting center field and Blaze Jordan edging Thomas Saggese at third base, though those spots remain uncertain. The piece forecasts a similar win total to 2026, emphasizing health management and modest roster tweaks rather than blockbuster trades.