2 Reasons the Cardinals are Coming Back Down to Earth after Strong Start

It was only a matter of time.

May 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have found a way to win ballgames this season despite the fact that they are rebuilding. The team has been fun and exciting to watch this season, not giving up after falling behind and winning games in dramatic fashion.

However, the Cardinals were not expected to be a contender this season, and though they are in second place in the National League Central, one of the league's most competitive divisions, it may only be a matter of time before they start to come back down to earth.

In fact, that might already be happening. Here are two reasons why.

They're still rebuilding

May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Cardinals have played well this season, but it's important to remember that new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom purged the roster of veteran players. Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras were all traded last offseason.

Without any true stars on the roster, it's going to be hard for the Cardinals to sustain this success. They have JJ Wetherholt making strides and pushing for the NL Rookie of the Year award, but that may not be enough for the team to keep winning.

Even Jordan Walker's emergence may have its limits. There isn't much proven talent on the roster, and without that, the Cardinals could easily fall back down to earth.

The pitching is not great

May 21, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) is removed from the game by manager Oliver Marmol (37) during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The main issue for the Cardinals has been their pitching. Without Gray, they don't have an ace, and that is hurting them. They have posted a 4.23 ERA as a team, which is the fourth-highest mark in the National League.

They also don't miss a ton of bats. They have recorded just 392 strikeouts as a staff, which is the second fewest in the NL.

The Cardinals have to rely heavily on their defense, which can work, but in today's game, strikeouts are very important, and since the Cardinals don't have that working in their favor, it's going to be tough for them to stay in the race.

It will be interesting to see what they can do, but there are reasons to be skeptical about their pitching staff. That is what let them down in 2023 and caused them to lose 91 games, and it was a key factor in them going just 78-84 last season.

The Cardinals simply don't have the depth or quality of pitching to make a deep run in the postseason.