Why Cardinals Fans Should Believe in Their Team in 2027

Cardinals fans should be excited about the future

Sep 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal (13) celebrates with right fielder Jordan Walker (18) after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have given their fans a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future this season. Obviously, they are officially eliminated from postseason contention, so that certainly doesn't help, but they have performed well above their expectations and have hope for 2027. Grant Brisbee of The Athletic shared a big reason for St. Louis fans to be optimistic, that a lot of their players are actually under the age of 30.

"The Cardinals might not give a single start this season to a pitcher over 30 years old," Brisbee wrote. "Even the 1998 Marlins snuck a 32-year-old Chris Hammond in there. It’s not just the rotation that’s on the younger side, either. The entire lineup is under 30. As of this writing, the entire bench is, too. The Cardinals have a young, young team, but also a remarkably talented team."

Cardinals are young and hungry

Sep 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For years, the Cardinals relied on veteran leadership to take them to the next level. While there certainly isn't anything wrong with veteran leadership, the time had come for a youth movement to take over in St. Louis, and that is exactly what has taken place in 2026.

Last season, Victor Scott II coined the term "youngry" to describe the Cardinals, but that label fits the 2026 team much better than it did the 2025 team. This is a very young team with a lot of talent, and while there may be some veteran players added in the offseason, the Cardinals have made sure to clear the way for their emerging players.

JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera make up the core, but Joshua Baez arrived this season, Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan showed off their potential at third base, and there is a ton of pitching waiting in the wings.

Perhaps the rebuild could be moving along much quicker than anticipated. This was a team that was expected to potentially lose 100 games this year, but they are only four games under .500 with six to go in the regular season and can still finish with a winning record.

The vibes are different in St. Louis. The team has played loose and relaxed all season long, and they have also been able to fight back when things go wrong, even if the record doesn't reflect it.

Cardinals fans have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future.