Cardinals Won't Make Playoffs, But Can Still Hurt Brewers

There are still things to play for in 2026 despite elimination being close.

Sep 16, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a double to second base in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With nine games left in the regular season, all it takes for the St. Louis Cardinals to be eliminated from playoff contention is a loss or a San Diego Padres win. They've taken a lot of big steps forward this season, but the inevitable outcome is close to becoming a reality.

However, not all is lost for the Cardinals, even if they miss the playoffs. There are still things left to play for after the fact, and some big matchups left on the schedule. In fact, they'll close out the season on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers and can play the role of spoiler one last time, just as they did against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox earlier this month.

Cardinals can still break Brewers hearts

Sep 8, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) spits as he runs on the final play of the game against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, the Brewers have already won the National League Central and secured a trip to the playoffs, so you might be wondering how the Cardinals are actually going to play spoiler on their rivals. But you have to look closer.

With the season ending in a week, the Brewers have the best record in Major League Baseball, but only two games behind them are the Dodgers. Assuming that the race for the top seed is still close, the Cardinals can ruin the Brewers' chances at gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

So, while the Cardinals will almost certainly be eliminated from contention by then, they'll likely put their best foot forward so that they can break the Brewers hearts a little bit before the playoffs and finish the season strong.

Cardinals can still finish over .500

Sep 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering the series against the Nationals, the Cardinals are 75-78. They have the Pirates after the Nationals to kick off their final road trip, so it's not a very tough schedule until they face the Brewers for the last time.

Now, the Cardinals could get swept by the Nationals this weekend and lose their chances of finishing with a winning record, but if they can get hot for their next two series, they can go into the Brewers series with a little momentum. Taking advantage of some bad teams before that series could put them in position to finish over .500.

They'll have to get pretty hot over the next few days in order to make that happen, but it's still possible. The Cardinals have finished below .500 two of the last three seasons, but they can still avoid doing it for the third time in the last four years.

Finishing over .500 would be a huge confidence builder for a rebuilding team and could light the way for a better 2027.