Two Reasons Cardinals May Be For Real in 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals are flying high to start the 2026 season. On Friday night, the offense broke out again and led them to a 9-4 win over the Houston Astros.

At 11-8, they are just a half-game back of first place in the National League Central. This is a team that was not expected to contend in 2026, and while there is still time for things to change, the early results have been encouraging.

In fact, it's always possible that the Cardinals may be for real. Here are two reasons that they could be for real and stay in contention.

The offense is producing

Apr 17, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) hits a three-run home run during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The bats had gone quiet in their series loss to the Boston Red Sox, but they have finally turned things up a notch. They rallied from a 5-2 deficit to beat the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night to pull off a win, and the bats came alive again in Houston.

The team is showing off a ton of power early on despite the losses of Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado. Entering Saturday's action, they were tied for the third most home runs in the National League.

If Jordan Walker can stay hot and the rest of the offense can follow, then the Cardinals could end up being a problem for the rest of the NL Central later in the season.

They're playing loose and relaxed

Oli Marmol — Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Cardinals know that preseason projections were not kind to them and that the odds were against them. However, that has seemingly lit a fire under them, but has also allowed them to play loose and relaxed.

Without expectations, the young Cardinals aren't facing any pressure and appear to have taken on the challenge of proving the experts wrong.

So far, they have done just that and are succeeding in a lot of areas that they were expected to fail in. Without the extra pressue, the Cardinals can play freely and continue to prove the doubters wrong.

The young players finally have the runway they need to succeed, and as long as they get those opportunities, the Cardinals will be playing loose and relaxed all season long, and that could ultimately lead to them performing better than expected.

It's a young team that is playing with a purpose and without any added baggage. The vibes are better in 2026 and could be a key factor in them proving people wrong.

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