The St. Louis Cardinals will officially miss the postseason for the fourth season in a row this year . It's an uncharacteristic trend in the history of the Cardinals and arguably the biggest reason for it has been struggles in the starting rotation.
In 2025, the Cardinals finished 25th in the league with a 4.67 rotation ERA. In 2024, the Cardinals had the 20th-ranked rotation ERA in baseball at 4.33. In 2023, the Cardinals had the 26th-ranked rotation ERA in baseball at 5.08. This year, the Cardinals have taken a step in the right direction and have the 11th-best staff ERA in baseball at 4.12. One of the biggest reasons why has been the turnaround from 28-year-old Andre Pallante , who is leading the Cardinals with a 3.61 ERA.
To put it into perspective, this mark is impressive in itself. Brandon Kiley of "BK & Ferrario" pointed out that Pallante is the first Cardinals starter under 30 years old to throw 150 or more innings with a 3.70 ERA or lower since Jack Flaherty in 2019.
Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (53) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"Just mentioned this on the show: Andre Pallante is the 1st Cardinals starter to throw at least 150 innings with a sub-3.7 ERA since Jack Flaherty did so in 2019," Kiley wrote on X. " ... I need to clarify this because I forgot an important qualifier - first Cardinals starter *under the age of 30* to do so since Jack Flaherty in 2019."
The performance of Pallante is the exact type of progress the Cardinals were looking for coming into the 2026 season. St. Louis traded veterans away to open up playing time for young guys and give players opportunities to do just what Pallante did . Last year, he struggled. It would've been easy to count him out and take him out of the rotation. But with the extra space, he got a shot in the rotation again this season and looks like a completely different player.
When the 2027 season comes around, the Cardinals are going to need more performances, like this from Pallante, if they want to get back to the postseason. Pallante, Kyle Leahy , and Michael McGreevy have all looked like starters who can help this club beyond the 2026 season. All have made at least 28 starts and have sub-4.00 ERAs. Quinn Mathews has a 3.65 ERA in eight starts. The lefty could be what the Cardinals need as well. Matthew Liberatore has a 5.36 ERA in 30 starts this season. That's not going to cut it.
What Pallante has done this season is give some hope to the fanbase after years of struggles in the rotation. If the Cardinals are going to turn things around next year, they need more of this.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Cardinals Haven't Had Season Like Andre Pallante's Since 2019 .
