Albert Pujols Points to 3 Cardinals Who Could Shape St. Louis' Future

The St. Louis Cardinals have a bright future. One of the franchise icons thinks so himself.

Sep 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Albert Pujols stands next to his St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame plaque during a ceremony before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The future is bright for the St. Louis Cardinals. But don't just take it from us, but from one of the biggest legends to ever wear a Cardinals uniform.

Cardinals legend Albert Pujols did an interview with Bleacher Report and touched on many subjects, including the current state of the Cardinals. His comments should have St. Louis fans fired up. Plus, he pinpointed three players he thinks could be the core pieces moving forward: JJ Wetherholt, Joshua Baez and Jordan Walker.

"I love what the young players were able to do this year," Pujols said, as transcribed by Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek. "There were no expectations, I think Oli Marmol did an unbelievable job of letting those young players play the game and play loose. ... I think they're going to be good for years to come with a really good core. Jordan Walker, Joshua Baez and JJ Wetherholt, I think they have that core, and if they add some pitching, they're going to be good not just for next year, but many years ahead."

The Cardinals' Future Is Bright

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (5) greets Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) in the first round during the 2022 Home Run Derby July 18, 2022 at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While the Cardinals aren't in the playoffs right now, the future was talked about all season and how bright it is. The Cardinals went through the 2026 season with the second-youngest roster in the league with an average age of 26.2 years old. Still, the Cardinals won just one fewer game in 2026 than they did in 2025 when they still had Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. Plus, now they actually have one of the best farm systems in baseball. Baseball America ranked it as the second-best in the league in August.

Pujols mentioned the need for pitching and he's absolutely right. Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy and Michael McGreevy appear poised to still have rotation roles in 2026, then everything is up in the air. Quinn Mathews showed a lot down the stretch and could be a good option. Matthew Liberatore is up in the air after a tough season. But, on the bright side, the Cardinals' top-tier farm system is actually loaded with pitching at the top. Eight of the Cardinals' top 14 prospects are pitchers. With so many intriguing arms at the top of the system, there's reason to believe that at least one or two could have a positive MLB impact, and hopefully more.

Wetherholt looked like a star in 2026 and should win a Gold Glove Award this season and maybe even the Rookie of the Year Award. Walker was an All-Star and finally took the leap St. Louis has been waiting for. Baez has incredible power and was red-hot before getting hurt down the stretch. These guys, plus Alec Burleson, Leo Bernal and Masyn Winn should be the core pieces.

It's tough not being in the playoffs, but if they stay the course, their time will come quickly.