Cardinals' Final 24 Games Are Critical to Their 2027 Plans

The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot riding on the final month of the season, even if they don't make the playoffs.

Jun 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is just one month left in the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season and it's going to be an important one for the St. Louis Cardinals, even if it doesn't end with them being in the playoffs.

St. Louis is 68-70 on the season right now and is five games out of a Wild Card spot. It would take something close to a miracle at this point to not only go on a hot streak, but for the clubs in front of the Cardinals in the Wild Card standings to all start struggling at the same time. All of this is to say, the playoffs aren't likely.

While this is the case, what happens between now and the regular season finale on Sep. 27 will be important for St. Louis. There are guys who could cement big roles with the 2027 club, and also guys who could cost themselves with bad performances.

In the first half of the season, we saw what this young roster can do. The Cardinals were well above .500 for most of the season and were in real contention for a playoff spot for the vast majority of the campaign. In the second half of the season, the club has fallen back down to earth. And it doesn't help that injuries are playing a role right now with JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Hunter Dobbins and Andre Pallante all on the Injured List, among others.

Right now, the Cardinals have the third-youngest roster in baseball with an average age of 26.6 years old. Over the next month, there are going to be guys playing for jobs.

It's Going To Be An Important Month For St. Louis

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leonardo Bernal (13) catches a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's start in center field. The Cardinals promoted Victor Scott II on Tuesday after demoting him earlier in the campaign. Him and Nathan Church are going to be interesting to follow down the stretch. Who will be the guy in 2027? Church has been solid this season and has 1.2 wins above replacement in 118 games played. Last year, Scott had 2.2 wins above replacement in 138 games. Either of these guys could make a case to be the guy heading into 2027.

Joshua Báez is up in the majors and looks like a guy who is going to be a significant piece moving forward. He's been able to crush the ball out of the ballpark, but he's also batting .167 in 16 games. This next month will be important to see if he can start the 2027 season on the roster, or if he needs more Triple-A time.

Nolan Gorman is currently on the big league roster with Blaze Jordan on the Injured List. He was demoted earlier in the season and this looks like a potential last chance. This next month should determine whether he returns to St. Louis, or if the Cardinals simply find a new home for him.

The rotation and bullpen are both completely up in the air. Quinn Mathews is up in the big leagues and has looked good. He seemingly is pitching for a chance to consistently be in the rotation next year. Matthew Liberatore, on the other hand, has mightily struggled all year. He's someone to watch down the stretch. If he turns it around and ends the season on a positive note, great. If his struggles continue, a bullpen spot should be in his future next year, especially with all of the top prospects the Cardinals have, like Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, Brandon Clarke, and Jurrangelo Cijntje.

The bullpen needs to be reimagined in the offseason, but could any guys on the roster right now stick around? Riley O'Brien surely will, despite recent struggles. Gordon Graceffo and Justin Bruihl have both been good. George Soriano has shown promise. Luis Gastelum is someone to watch, but he has struggled overall since his promotion. The bullpen needs to add multiple arms this winter, meaning multiple should be gone as well.

Then, of course, there is catcher. The Cardinals promoted Leo Bernal on Tuesday and he'll get a big chance down the stretch. Beyond him, it's going to be interesting to see how St. Louis handles Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés. Herrera isn't great defensively. A split with three catchers is tough in general. As we move towards the 2027 season, St. Louis arguably should stick with two catchers, rather than the three. Does that mean Pagés is gone? Does that mean Herrera no longer catches? Could there be a wild card in the mix, like if Jimmy Crooks gets hot in the minors? It's something to watch out for.

Decisions for the 2027 team will be impacted by the next month of games, to say the least.