Cardinals' NL Central Outlook Looks Bleak in Latest Poll

It may be a long year.

Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

The 2026 season is finally underway. For the St. Louis Cardinals, it's a new beginning of sorts. It's a young team looking to make an impact, but one that also is in the middle of a rebuild.

Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado are all gone after a busy offseason, and the time has come for St. Louis to see what they have in their next potential core. They are widely expected to not contend in 2026, so it may be a long year.

The Athletic's panel of baseball writers recently had a poll in which they picked who will win the National League Central. 63 percent predicted the Chicago Cubs, 33 percent predicted the Milwaukee Brewers, and four percent chose the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, nobody chose St. Louis or the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cardinals' NL Central Outlook May Be Bleak

Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

It might be a long year in St. Louis. Besides top prospect JJ Wetherholt, who made the Opening Day roster after a strong showing in spring training, there aren't many names that jump off the page.

Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Matthew Liberatore, Ivan Herrera, Michael McGreevy and Victor Scott II are players worth watching, and they could be the key to St. Louis potentially outperforming their expectations. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman are also X-factors for the 2026 season.

But because nobody jumps out, the outlook for the Cardinals among the experts appears bleak. They are still trying to figure out who they will build their next great core around. Wetherholt is the obvious candidate, but it remains to be seen who else will emerge for St. Louis.

The popular belief among the experts is that the Cardinals will miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year and finish below .500 for the third time in that span. With all of the big names gone, it's easy to see why they are being overlooked.

While it may end up being a long year for the Cardinals, there also is still reason for optimism. If the young core takes the next step forward, then there are reasons for fans to be excited.

The young core is the key for St. Louis. There will be growing pains, but it may not end up being as bad as the experts say it will. That said, it still may not be a pretty season for a team that is rebuilding for the first time in decades.