Cardinals Truths and Lies: What's Real and Fake After 8-8 Start

There's a lot to like about the St. Louis Cardinals, but also a few things that need to change.

Apr 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) is congratulated by third base coach Ron Warner (75) after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

There's a lot to like about this St. Louis Cardinals team right now, despite three straight losses.

St. Louis came out of the gate hot, but dropped its series opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday to drop its record to 8-8. The Cardinals will try to get back on track on Tuesday night with the red-hot Michael McGreevy on the hill at Busch Stadium.

With the Cardinals having 16 games under their belt already this season, we are just about at the 10 percent mark on the 2026 season. How crazy is that? The Cardinals will reach the threshold on Monday night against Cleveland.

Over the last few weeks alone, there have been some serious bright spots, and a few reasons to be concerned. Let's break down what is truth about the 8-8 Cardinals and what are lies.

TRUTH

Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Jordan Walker is Here to Stay

Jordan Walker has been the biggest feel-good story in baseball. The former No. 1 prospect had a tough couple of years, but it looks like he has finally found his way. Through 16 games, he has eight homers, 15 RBIs and is slashing .333/.394/.767 with a 1.161 OPS. Even when Walker was red-hot to kick off his big league career back in 2023, he never matched this production. He's on fire right now and his advanced metrics paint the picture of someone who can maintain these numbers. It isn't a fluke, that's for sure.

Michael McGreevy is Taking the Next Step

Michael McGreevy has three starts under his belt on the season and a 2.16 ERA heading into Monday's contest against Cleveland. His velocity has been down a tick, but he looks like a legit front-of-the-rotation starter and St. Louis' most consistent one right now.

JoJo Romero's Breakout 2025 Season

Romero was incredible for the Cardinals last year. He had a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances, but it was the first season of his career in which he finished a campaign with a sub-3.00 ERA. So, there were at least questions about how he would respond in 2026. Romero has delivered and hasn't allowed an earned run in seven appearances. Impressive, to say the least.

LIES

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Catcher Situation

If the Cardinals want to give the team a boost, catcher is one area to do so. Iván Herrera is going to get time and is going to be good offensively, despite a slow start. But with Jimmy Crooks tearing it up down in Triple-A, arguably he should be up in the majors. Pedro Pagés is batting .194 through 11 games and Yohel Pozo is batting .091 through five games. It's time to make a change

Left Field Situation

Left field is the other big question for the team from a position player standpoint. Nathan Church is batting .143 in 14 games. That's not going to cut it. Thomas Saggese and José Fermín are both batting .231. If the Cardinals roll with an option already on the big league roster, they should give Saggese more time. Soon enough, it wouldn't hurt to give Joshua Báez or Nelson Velázquez a shot.