Cardinals' Oli Marmol Shares Positive Message to Fans Amid Rebuild

Oli Marmol seems optimistic about the future.

Sep 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) calls to the dugout in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have six games remaining on their 2026 schedule. Unfortunately, they will not be going to the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. The team finished up the home portion of its schedule on Sunday with a 5-3 win and improved to 76-80.

Despite the record, the Cardinals seem to be in a much better place than they were at this point last year. Hope was just starting to reappear with Chaim Bloom taking over for John Mozeliak, but fans weren't exactly feeling optimistic just yet. However, after Sunday's home finale, manager Oli Marmol shared that he believes something major has changed within the fanbase, even though attendance declined yet again.

"I feel in my seat more support than I've ever felt from our fanbase and our players feel more support than they've felt over the last couple years," Marmol said. "I think as you walk around town and you have conversations at coffee shops or dinner or whatever the case may be, there is a real optimism and excitement around where everything is headed. This is a smart fanbase, they understand where we're at. I think we've been very up-front with that. We've got a lot of work to do, but it's going to get pretty damn good very quick."

Cardinals generating more excitement in 2026

Cardinals fans certainly feel a little better about things simply because Bloom and the organization have been clear with them about their intentions. They knew that a rebuild wasn't going to be everybody's first choice, but instead of dreading it, they approached it with optimism and did a good job selling the product to the fanbase.

While Marmol is right that there is still a lot of work to do, the Cardinals are in a much better position right now than they were at this point last year. They have a strong young core featuring players like Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Ivan Herrera, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal coming back in 2027.

There are also plenty of players knocking on the door at the minor league level, as the Cardinals have built a very impressive farm system in a very short amount of time. There are certainly reasons to be excited for Cardinals fans.

Even if they're still a few years away, fans have reasons to come back to Busch Stadium and witness some of the talented players the organization has accumulated. The Cardinals will likely finish under .500 in 2026, but hope has been ignited for 2027 and beyond.

Add us as a preferred source on Google