Cardinals Midseason Grades: Evaluating Chaim Bloom's Rebuild Progress

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 Major League Baseball season so far, but they are struggling right now.

St. Louis has lost four games in a row and seven of its last 10 contests. The latest came on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. The Cardinals sent Andre Pallante to the mound, who has been the club's second-best overall starter this season, and he struggled. Pallante pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs and 11 base hits, while striking out just four batters. It was his first time allowing more than two earned runs in a game since May 29. The Cardinals ended up losing, 5-1.

With the loss, the Cardinals are now 42-38 on the season and are a half-game out of a National League Wild Card spot. On Sunday, the Cardinals will reach the midpoint of the 2026 season with their 81st game of the campaign.

The Cardinals are in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season so far with just over one month to go until the deadline. With that being said, let's do a deep dive into the club and grade the rotation, bullpen, offense, and farm system.

Rotation: B-

Jun 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Michael McGreevy has been the club's biggest bright spot here. He has a 3.12 ERA in 16 starts on the season. Pallante has been the club's second-best starter with a 3.83 ERA in 16 starts. Dustin May has been awesome, for the most part, this season. His overall ERA number doesn't tell the whole story. His ERA is 4.30, but he went on a 12-start run with a 2.54 ERA before allowing six runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched on June 21.

Matthew Liberatore has really struggled with a 5.56 ERA in 16 starts. Kyle Leahy has been up and down, but has had his struggles as well. Right now, he has a 4.24 ERA in 15 starts. With three starters with a 4.24 ERA or higher, it's hard to grade the rotation anything higher than a B-.

Bullpen: C

Jun 22, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The bullpen hasn't been great overall. Right now, the Cardinals have the 22nd-ranked bullpen ERA in baseball at 4.43. Riley O'Brien was incredible to begin the season, but has fallen back down to earth. Right now, he has a 4.05 ERA in 33 appearances. Gordon Graceffo has been consistent all season and has a 3.26 ERA in 33 outings. JoJo Romero has a 3.86 ERA in 36 outings. Justin Bruihl struggled early this season, but has his ERA down to 3.89. But St. Louis has other guys with inflated ERAs, like Ryne Stanek (5.23 ERA in 34 outings) and Matt Svanson (7.20 ERA in 32 appearances).

There are some solid weapons here, but there's room for more.

Offense: B+

Jun 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) singles in a run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Cardinals' offense may not rank in the top 10 in a handful of categories around Major League Baseball, but it has done enough to carry the load for St. Louis this season. Jordan Walker has been brilliant all season to this point and should be an All-Star. JJ Wetherholt should be an All-Star too, despite the fact that he's a rookie. Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson have both been very good all season as well. Plus, Lars Nootbaar is batting .308 since his season debut on June 5.

Farm System: A+

Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Joshua Baez (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Cardinals' farm system has been making noise all season to this point. Right now, Joshua Báez is the guy to watch. The No. 3 overall prospect has 26 homers and 65 RBIs in 70 games played in Triple-A. Jimmy Crooks and Blaze Jordan both tore their way through the minors and earned promotions to the big leagues. Brycen Mautz is another guy who has been good down in Triple-A and has made one appearance in the majors.

No. 5 prospect Leo Bernal has been tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A as well. And none of these guys are even the Cardinals' top two prospects. No. 1 prospect Liam Doyle is two steps away from the majors in Double-A. The same can be said about No. 2 prospect Rainiel Rodriguez. The future is bright.

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