Cardinals Latest Loss Proves 2026 Season is on Life Support

The Cardinals are in trouble.

Jul 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Iván Herrera (48) hits a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals were two outs away from snapping their two-game losing streak on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, but this time, All-Star closer Riley O'Brien was the victim of the latest bullpen implosion. Now, the streak is at three games, and St. Louis is a mere three games over the .500 mark.

The bullpen simply is not strong enough to sustain for a whole 162 games. JoJo Romero being on the injured list certainly doesn't help matters.

But the Cardinals' latest loss proved that the team simply has too many flaws to be a true contender and will likely miss the postseason for a fourth straight year.

Cardinals Latest Loss Proves 2026 is a Lost Cause

Jun 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; The ball is returned to St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, some might argue that because the Cardinals are in the third National League wild card spot, that should be a reason for them to invest in the club and try to make a push.

However, the NL wild card race is packed, and the Cardinals simply have too many holes to fill if they're going to make a push in 2026. The bullpen isn't even the only problem with this team.

The Cardinals were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels. They also left 12 men on base in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, so the offense also could use some work.

Their starting rotation is far from perfect as well. Even if the Cardinals do get to the playoffs, their best starter is Michael McGreevy, and that likely isn't going to be enough to beat the likes of Jacob Misiorowski, Chris Sale, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Shohei Ohtani.

To make significant upgrades, St. Louis would have to part with a lot of prospects, but their pitching pipeline, while much stronger than in recent years, still needs more depth, especially starting pitching depth.

A lot needs to go right if the Cardinals want to get to the playoffs, and after making several offseason trades, it's clear that this team is simply not capable of making a deep run, which means the only thing to do at the trade deadline is to sell.

The writing is on the wall for the Cardinals. 2026 is slipping away from them, and it's only a matter of time before they find themselves parting with talent currently on their roster. It's best to stick with the plan anyway and stay focused on the future.