How Cardinals have upset expectations with shocking start to 2026 MLB season

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How Cardinals have upset expectations with shocking start to 2026 MLB season

Garrett Kerman, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, May 4, 2026 ·

4 min read

Jordan Walker Is Playing Like an MVP Candidate

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Jordan Walker , a 23-year-old outfielder, is the only player who has completely changed the story of the Cardinals in 2026. Walker started the season with low expectations after a bad 2025 season, but he has quickly become one of the most feared hitters in the National League. He has a .307 batting average, 10 home runs, 27 RBIs, six stolen bases, and an OPS of 964, which is one of the best in all of baseball.

The historical context of what Walker is doing makes it even more staggering. When he blasted his eighth home run in his team's first 16 games, Yahoo Sports noted he had tied Cardinals legends Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols — with only Pujols' 2006 pace of 11 homers ahead of him in franchise history.

On May 2, Walker crushed his 10th home run of the season off a 110 mph exit velocity — a 372-foot laser to left field against the Los Angeles Dodgers — further cementing his place in the power elite this season. The Cardinals were supposed to be a power-free lineup in 2026. Walker has single-handedly dismantled that narrative.

The Pitching Staff Has Outperformed Every Projection

Heading into the season, the Cardinals rotation was viewed with deep skepticism. Michael McGreevy posted a 4.42 ERA in 2025, Matthew Liberatore went 8-12 with a 4.21 ERA, and Andre Pallante was coming off an ugly 5.31 ERA that had some analysts calling for him to be moved to the bullpen. Nobody expected this group to be a collective strength. Yet through the season's first five weeks, the rotation has delivered far beyond what any model projected.

McGreevy leads the staff with a 2.52 ERA — the rotation's anchor and a genuine surprise ace. Pallante has been the biggest revelation of all, posting a 3.73 ERA through six starts this season while striking out 26 over 31.1 innings of work, navigating shaky command with poise beyond his years.

The duo of McGreevy and Pallante at the top of this rotation has given St. Louis a foundation they simply didn't have in 2025, and their ability to eat innings has kept the bullpen fresh — a critical factor in the Cardinals' ability to win close games. JoJo Romero and Riley O'Brien have also been flawless out of the pen, combining for zero earned runs in 13 appearances between them.

The Power Surge No One Saw Coming

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping subplot of the Cardinals' rise is the team-wide power surge. St. Louis finished 29th in the entire MLB in home runs in 2025 — dead last among National League clubs. In 2026, they've rocketed all the way up to sixth in baseball in home runs.

Walker leads the charge with 10 long balls, but Alec Burleson has added five home runs, Nolan Gorman is contributing steady power from the left side, and J.J. Wetherholt — the exciting rookie — is already showing pop in his first full MLB season. The Cardinals haven't just improved their power numbers; they've completely reinvented their offensive identity. A lineup once dismissed as groundball-heavy and station-to-station has become one of the more dangerous offensive units in the NL, and it has St. Louis positioned for a playoff push nobody dared predict in March.

Jordan Walker Is Playing Like an MVP Candidate

The Pitching Staff Has Outperformed Every Projection

The Power Surge No One Saw Coming