What Can Cardinals Take Away From 2025 World Series Participants?

The Cardinals aren't still playing, but there's a lot that can be learned from the teams still standing.

Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The World Series between the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays kicks off on Friday night at Rogers Centre. The first pitch will be at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports.

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year after going 78-84 in 2025. They have not been to the World Series since 2013, when they were defeated by the Boston Red Sox.

It's going to take a bit of an overhaul from Chaim Bloom to get the Cardinals back to where they once were. But there is a lot to learn from the two teams still standings.

Cardinals Can Copy Blue Jays By Developing Their Own Stars

Oct 23, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) is interviewed during media day and team workouts at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Cardinals collapse over the past several years has been thanks in large part to their declining player development system. They have developed a few good players such as Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera, but none of them have turned into superstars.

The last players to become superstars that was drafted and developed by the Cardinals were Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have plenty of players who they've either drafted, developed, or both.

Three obvious examples are Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Trey Yesavage, who starts Game 1 tonight. Fortunately, they are overhauling their player development system under Bloom, and they may soon have their next superstars in JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle, but it's time for them to find some gems within their system.

Similar To Dodgers, Cardinals Can Use International Market In Free Agency

Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts after game two of the NLCS round against the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Obviously, the Cardinals are never going to spend to the degree that the Dodgers do, but the point isn't entirely moot. While the Dodgers spend more, they have also been very active in the international free agent market, with Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto being solid examples.

Some of former president of baseball operations John Mozeliak's best signings came from Asia. They weren't flashy by any means, but they got the job done. Two perfect examples are pitchers Seung-Hwan Oh and Kwang-Hyun Kim.

Bloom certainly has an eye for solid talent. He could easily take after Mozeliak, find some hidden gems in Asia and turn them into solid bargain signings. Sometimes, international players come at a lower price tag, so Bloom should take advantage of that during his tenure if those options emerge.

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