This Cardinals Trend Is Starting to Feel Impossible to Ignore

The St. Louis Cardinals have been baseball's best defensive team so far in 2026.

Apr 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) knocks down a single hit by Cleveland Guardians third baseman Daniel Schneemann (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The 2026 St. Louis Cardinals sure are fun.

There are so many people around baseball who were down on the young Cardinals heading into the campaign. We have been banging the drum that this team is more talented than many expected, dating back to Spring Training. The Cardinals are showing the baseball world why. St. Louis has played 18 games so far this season and is 10-8 on the campaign.

The Cardinals are just a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates for first place in the National League Central. At this point, the sample size is just over 10 percent of the campaign. Things will shift, but this team has been good overall and has had success in different ways. Jordan Walker has electrified the baseball world with his power. Michael McGreevy looks like a No. 1 starter for the team. JJ Wetherholt has looked as advertised for the organization after making the club out of camp as the team's No. 1 prospect.

The Cardinals Are Baseballs No. 1 Defensive Team

Apr 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) leaps and throws to first after forcing out Boston Red Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer (11) during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

That's not all. The Cardinals have been the best defensive team in baseball to this point. St. Louis is the only team in baseball with over 10 outs above average on the season as a whole. St. Louis is leading the league with 11 outs above average as a team. The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied for second place in the league at eight, per Baseball Savant.

Wetherholt is tied with Bobby Witt Jr. atop the league standings with five outs above replacement himself. How about that? He entered the regular season with defense being a bit of a question mark for him. He's responded by being the best defensive player in the National League by OAA roughly 10 percent of the way through the season.

Masyn Winn, the reigning National League Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop, isn't far behind with three outs above average himself. Nolan Gorman has two outs above average himself, which is a pretty big shock. He hasn't been able to get his bat going yet, but his defense has been pristine.

The Cardinals are doing the little things right. St. Louis plays good defense, has pitched well for the most part, moves runners along on base and then hits the ball out of the yard when it needs to. This club is young, but they have enough talent to keep this performance going.