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WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Thomas Saggese #25, Nathan Church #27 and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after a 7-6 victory against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals are back to playing competitive baseball. In a year that was supposed to be a rebuild, the Redbirds have mustered a record of 21-15 through their first calendar month of games. 

Slowly, but surely, the hype around these young and hungry Cardinals is building. 

Media Reacts to Cardinals Successful Youth Movement 

Here is what baseball media is saying about the Cardinals:

Mark DeRosa: “It’s the lineup for me that’s fun to watch… there’s a lot to like offensively about the way they’re playing the game.” 

Dontrelle Willis: “This team, it’s a youth one. They have something special in St. Louis right now.” 

Xavier Scruggs: “Development is never a straight line. The Cardinals have the youngest roster in baseball right now. They walked into 2026 not even knowing who their leadoff hitter would be. JJ Wetherholt stepped into that spot and hasn’t given it back. Jordan Walker struggled for two straight years, a 68 WRC+ over that stretch. The noise got loud, and people wanted to move on from him. Instead, he completely reinvented himself. This Cardinals team is getting back to what they’ve always done best: trust the process, develop young talent, and beat teams in multiple ways. St. Louis is back to being St. Louis, and the baseball world better start paying attention. 

Matt Adams: “They’re playing with a ton of confidence… I think inside that clubhouse, they’re out to prove a lot of people wrong.” 

JandySTL: CARDINALS WIN. Again. They win again. Ho hum. 7 out of their last 8. They will beat you in all sorts of different ways. Their offense is just insane. They just expect to win at this point. I love this team so much. It’s such a pleasure watching this team. Unbelievable. 21-14. Play Free Bird. Birds! #shocktheworld #STLCards 

The Cardinals Have the Chance to Speed up Their Timeline 

With so much success in year one of a new regime’s takeover, St. Louis may have sped up the process. It was initially expected that the Cardinals would dwell in last place for years to come; now, over 30 games into 2026, the Redbirds are still red hot. 

The key catalysts for this early dominance are rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt, lockdown closer Riley O’Brien, and breakout slugger Jordan Walker. 

Wetherholt is making a clear bid for the Rookie of the Year. He ranks amongst the league’s best in fielding metrics, and pairs his sure-handed ways with an OPS of .780. The youngster has already accumulated 1.8 Baseball Reference WAR. 

Riley O’Brien recently had his scoreless streak broken. He still maintains an ERA of 2.12 and has already racked up ten saves. His sweeper has evolved to become one of baseball’s premier pitches. Opponents are yet to record a hit off the right-hander’s breaking ball. 

Walker went from back-to-back seasons of being amongst baseball’s most dreadful hitters to being one of its emerging superstars. The towering right fielder has already amassed 2.2 Baseball Reference WAR. In contrast, all of last year, Walker put up -1.7. Not only has his offense improved, but he’s also become dangerous in the field. The Cardinals’ broadcast of Chip Caray and former big leaguer Brad Thompson have repeatedly deemed him “more comfortable” with the glove. Additionally, his arm remains a weapon for the St. Louis defense. 

The Cardinals went into this year looking to build something. President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom opened up his mystery box, and he may have gotten more than he was expecting. These Redbirds are real.