Cardinals' Projected 2027 Roster to Get Back to the Playoffs

The St. Louis Cardinals unfortunately were on the outside looking in, once again, when the 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs kicked off on Tuesday.

St. Louis finished the regular season with a 77-85 record and in third place in the National League Central. The 2026 season was the fourth straight campaign in which the Cardinals failed to land a playoff spot. While this is the case, there was a big chunk of the season in which the Cardinals played like a potential playoff team. The wheels fell off throughout the summer, with the bullpen being the biggest reason why. Also, this is a young roster. In fact, the Cardinals had the second-youngest roster in baseball. It's hard to play at your best throughout an entire 162-game season. The young Cardinals are still learning how to get through an entire campaign, which is why it's important to have a few veterans in the mix as well.

The Cardinals took a step in the right direction, but there is more work to do. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom spoke to the media after the season ended and insinuated that the club will look around, but that they're also going to be strategic and make a splash just to make a splash. Arguably, this club isn't far from a Wild Card spot. With a better bullpen and potentially a veteran starter, they could fight for a spot next year.

With that being said, let's try our hand at projecting the type of roster that could get St. Louis back to the playoffs in 2027 — and is realistic.

Position Players

Catcher (2)

Sep 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal (13) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Leo Bernal, Pedro Pages

The Cardinals have found someone who could very well be a star in Leo Bernal. He should be the main guy moving forward. If he's the main guy and getting the majority of the reps, the Cardinals would be smart to keep Pages as well. He's been around the block at this point and has done well with St. Louis' pitchers. You know what you're getting offensively with Pages. The reason to keep him would be for a veteran defensive option. But Bernal should be getting the vast majority of the playing time.

Infielders (6)

Sep 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Jesus Baez, Thomas Saggese, Jose Fermin

Wetherholt and Winn form the best defensive middle infield in baseball. Wetherholt looked like a superstar in the making for the vast majority of the 2026 season. He should be even better next year. Burleson is one of the most underrated stars in the league and should have another Silver Slugger Award coming his way. This projection isn't necessarily for Opening Day, but more so the type of roster that the club could have in 2027 that could be worth a playoff appearance. That's where Baez comes in. He bashed 39 homers and drove in 109 runs in the minors in 2026. If he can get a shot in the big leagues in 2027 and adjust well, like Bernal and Joshua Baez, he could be the offensive spark the Cardinals need.

In the meantime, Saggese did enough down the stretch to get a look and Fermin was a good bench guy.

Outfielders (4)

Sep 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrates hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jordan Walker, Joshua Baez, Nathan Church, Everson Pereira

No surprises here. Walker, Baez and Church are your starters. Pereira showed some flashes after coming to the organization. He'd be a good guy to keep around with upside. Fermin can also help for depth purposes here as well.

Designated Hitter (1)

Ivan Herrera

Arguably, the Cardinals should be done with the three-catcher carousel. Herrera is great offensively, but his defense isn't great. Let him do what he does best and just hit, while giving even more time behind the plate to Bernal.

Pitchers

Starters (5)

Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, Quinn Mathews, Shane Bieber

Now this is where an addition could be important. Leahy, Pallante and McGreevy all earned their spots. Mathews looked awesome down the stretch and could be a high-impact guy in 2027. Getting a veteran like Shane Bieber in free agency could be a difference-maker. Bieber won a Cy Young Award in 2020, but has pitched in just 20 games over the last three seasons. The talent is there and he needs to rebuild his value. The Cardinals are a team that could help in that department.

Then, in the pipeline, the Cardinals will have guys like Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje and maybe even Tekoah Roby ready to go, among others.

Bullpen (8)

Sep 14, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) reacts after the Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Riley O'Brien, Gordon Graceffo, Justin Bruihl, Luis Gastelum, Cooper Hjerpe, Ryan Fernandez, Paul Blackburn, Sean Newcomb

The Cardinals' bullpen had a lot of issues in 2026, but this bullpen right here would be better on paper. There are plenty of guys to keep, like O'Brien, Graceffo and Bruihl. Gastelum, Hjerpe and Fernandez should get bigger opportunities throughout the season. Then, add two veterans in Blackburn (righty) and Newcomb (lefty). A bullpen like this would be much more dangerous.

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