Cardinals Finally Getting What They Need From Nathan Church

The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder is thriving right now after a slow start to the season.

Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) hits a two run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Have the St. Louis Cardinals found a solution in the outfield?

Both Nathan Church and Victor Scott II struggled to open up the campaign. So much so that it got to the point where Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported that the club would be sticking with both in consistent roles.

Church has made the most of the opportunity and has thrived. Right now, he very well may be the Cardinals' hottest hitter and that trend continued on Saturday. On Sunday, Church stayed hot and went 2-for-4 with his fifth homer of the season.

The Cardinals Outfielder Is Thriving

Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Church 110 mph BLAST! 💥 pic.twitter.com/yA1B7SAxWP

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 26, 2026

This was after Church clubbed two homers on Saturday.

Nathan Church’s first 50 MLB games: 3 HR
Nathan Church’s last two games: 3 HR

Yeah… something’s definitely clicked. #stlcards #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/Io9LCOrWzx

— Zach Sweet (@by_ZachSweet) April 26, 2026

If this version of Church is here to stay, St. Louis is going to be just fine. Since April 21, Church has gone 8-for-19 with four homers, seven RBIs, and four runs scored in five games played. This is exactly what the Cardinals need to see from Church right now. He's now slashing .269/.311/.507 in 24 games played.

With Church struggling out of the gate, there was a lot of chatter about the club's plans in left field, from us included. With Joshua Báez and Nelson Velázquez both down in Triple-A, the Cardinals have options if they need another option in the outfield. But Church has now turned things around and looks like an integral piece for the organization, at least right now.

We should see Lars Nootbaar back for the club in May. When he is ready to return, it's at least going to be a question for the club. Where does Nootbaar play? Who sits? If Church keeps playing like this, it's going to be very difficult to not have him in the lineup. Scott is the other guy to watch closely over the next month, or so. Jordan Walker isn't going anywhere. He's the club's right fielder and will be moving forward. Center field and left field aren't as guaranteed, but Church looks like he deserves one of the roles right now.

When Nootbaar returns, he'll likely have one of the spots as well. These next few weeks are going to be full of chatter but Church has the early lead right now. Three homers in two days certainly don't hurt his case. If this is the version of Church that is here to stay, then a lot of people have been wrong about him.