Cardinals' Brutal Bullpen Will Force Chaim Bloom's Hands This Winter

The St. Louis Cardinals entered their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants needing a few wins to keep their low playoff hopes alive.

Instead, the Cardinals had one of their most difficult series of the 2026 season so far and was swept in the three-game set by the 62-85 Giants. Now, the Cardinals are 72-75 on the season with just 15 games left to be played. Overall, the 2026 season has been a step in the right direction for the Cardinals, but it could've been even better.

The Cardinals' lineup has taken a significant step in the right direction this season thanks to guys like Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, and Alec Burleson. Plus, Leo Bernal and Joshua Báez have been great recently as well. In the rotation, Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy and Michael McGreevy have been positives for the club for the vast majority of the 2026 season. Quinn Mathews has looked good recently as well. There are positives all over the roster, but the bullpen has been a massive weakness.

The Cardinals Have A Bullpen Weakness

Sep 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher George Soriano (65) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For example, George Soriano blew a save for the Cardinals on Wednesday in the series finale against San Francisco. Now, the Cardinals have 28 total blown saves this season, the third-highest mark in baseball. The Washington Nationals have the most blown saves in baseball with 38. The Detroit Tigers are in second place with 31.

One thing that is a bit surprising is the fact that Riley O'Brien is leading the National League with 36 saves. Mason Miller is the closest hurler to the Cardinals flamethrower in the National League with 34 saves of his own. This is a sign of the sheer volume of close games that have been played by St. Louis this season. O'Brien has the most saves in the National League and the seventh-most blown saves in baseball with seven. Soriano actually has the third-most blown saves in baseball this year with eight.

If the Cardinals were even close to the middle of the pack from a blown saves perspective, we'd be talking about a playoff team in St. Louis. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 16th in the league in blown saves with 20. The Cardinals are 72-75 right now. If the Cardinals had 20 blown saves, instead of 28, we'd be talking about a 80-67 team in the mix for the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that isn't the case, though.

When the offseason arrives this winter, the Cardinals need to completely overhaul this bullpen. Right now, the Cardinals have the 24th-ranked bullpen ERA in Major League Baseball at 4.58. That's not going to cut it.

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