Viva El Birdos
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The St. Louis Cardinals early season success. Sustainable or just a tease?
At 14-10, few (if any) saw this kind of start to the 2026 season. Pre-season predictions were somewhat gloomy. Many people feared a near-100 loss season. Few had the temerity to stretch beyond a prediction of 81-81, although the boldest thought 85 wins within reach. Personally, I was thinking just under .500 (say, 78 +/-), […]
High Floor: Wetherholt Is a Roster Builder’s Dream for the Cardinals
I love JJ Wetherholt. You love JJ Wetherholt. Oli Marmol seems to love JJ Wetherholt, and, presumably his mom loves him, too. I’m not shy to admit that I’ve become enamored by a guy that I hope is in Cardinals red for a very long time – and immortalized in a red jacket long after […]
9 Minor Leaguers the St. Louis Cardinals Should Promote Soon
It can sometimes be tough to know when to promote a player. The typical structure is a level per year. But not everyone follows that schedule. Sometimes, they hit a wall at a certain level and need multiple years, sometimes they blow through the minor leagues, advancing multiple levels within the same year. Both of […]
Projecting a St. Louis Cardinals Jordan Walker Extension—and Why to Wait
The St. Louis Cardinals will have a vexing decision to make about Jordan Walker sooner rather than later. Should they work to extend him or do they wait? There are arguments to be made that it’s worth considering, but at least an equal amount for why the team should wait. I asked the question a […]
Kyle Leahy labors. So does the getaway day offense as the Marlins defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1
Game Summary The Marlins jump Leahy for an early 2-0 with death by a thousand cuts singles with too many walks sprinkled in. The Cardinals come out swinging against Junk (literally and figuratively), but muster only a weak single against him. Leahy labors through 5 innings, giving up 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 HBP and […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Miami Marlins Wednesday
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their road trip Wednesday against the Miami Marlins. Kyle Leahy (2-2 with a 5.21 ERA) is scheduled to make the start for the Cardinals while Janson Junk (0-2 with a 4.50 ERA) will take the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 11:10am.
The St Louis Cardinals Should Play Jose Fermin More, But Whatever
While the Cardinals on offense have been all but miracle workers so far, surviving very slow starts by Ivan Herrera and Masyn Winn, and a bottom of the order that often includes the far below league average hitting of Pedro Pages, Nathan Church, and Victor Scott II (not to mention Nolan Gorman still not living […]
Nathan Church’s Big Blast Leads St. Louis Cardinals Over Marlins 5-3
A fiery Dustin May had a solid start and JJ Wetherholt continued his on-base assault while Nathan Church flexed unexpected power as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins Tuesday night. It only took 4 pitches before JJ Wetherholt was on base as he ripped a 1st inning double to start the game. After […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Miami Marlins Tuesday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals play game 2 of their road series versus the Miami Marlins Tuesday night. Dustin May (2-2 with a 6.98 ERA) will start for the Cardinals while Chris Paddack (0-3 with a 5.59 ERA) will get the ball for the Marlins. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Profile: Victor Scott II
In a season-long search for answers, the Cardinals appear to have some offensive pieces emerging. Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, rookie JJ Wetherholt, and (hopefully) Jordan Walker can continue to do what he’s done through the first 3 weeks of the season. Between Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Victor Scott II, there existed the biggest questions about […]
Jordan Walker Extends Hit Streak to 15, But Marlins Beat Cardinals 5-3
Michael McGreevy did not have his best stuff Monday night and the Miami Marlins took advantage of his mistakes beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3, but Jordan Walker did extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Monday night’s game began as a pitcher’s duel. The Cardinals missed a golden opportunity to score in the top […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Miami Marlins Monday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals road trip continues as they do battle with the Miami Marlins Monday night at LoanDepot Park. Michael McGreevy (1-1 with a 2.49 ERA) will start for the Cardinals while Max Meyer (1-0 with a 4.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time.
The Viva El Birdos Podcast: Episode 61 – Interview with Eno Sarris
This week, the VEB writing staff is joined by the Athletics’ Eno Sarris! I feel like he needs very little introduction on this site, but we’ll do it anyway! Eno is one of the most well-respected minds in baseball when it comes to analytics, and you can also find his show “Rates and Barrels” on […]
Cardinals’ hot start fueled by the future
As most of you know, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Winter Warmup as a reporter. Last year, I used that experience to write several season previews. Due to the late start of the top 20 prospect series (caused by waiting for Brendan Donovan to be traded), my Winter Warmup stories have […]
Cardinals’ Supernova Covering Up Outfield Concerns (feat. Thomas Gauvain)
Jordan Walker has changed what we all thought was possible for him this season, and honestly maybe even his career. Two natural questions arise from this supernova start for Walker. These are the issues we consider with guest Thomas Gauvain on this week’s Redbird Rudnown. First, the obvious one: can he keep doing this? We […]
Masyn Winn’s Clutch Double in Extras Gives Cardinals Sweep of Astros
The first half of Sunday’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros was a pitcher’s duel. The second half of the game not so much as the Cardinals bats woke up in the 5th inning against the Houston Astros in the weekend series, but it would be extra innings heroics by Masyn Winn […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Houston Astros Sunday
The St. Louis Cardinals continue their strong start to the 2026 season going for the sweep versus the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon. Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Mike Burrows (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.
The Cardinals left field problem that did not need to be
By most all accounts, the St. Louis Cardinals have outperformed early expectations of the first year of the rebuild. Despite doing more subtracting than adding to their major league roster this past offseason, the Cardinals are off to a better start than they had in their previous “contending” years. Rightly, the vast majority of the […]
Andre Pallante’s Strong Effort, Cardinals 3 Home Runs Beat Astros 7-5
There was a lot to like Saturday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros again thanks to a strong effort from Andre Pallante and three home runs. There were also some things not to like about the Cardinals bullpen, but more on that later. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Houston Astros Saturday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals will follow up a 9-run outburst Friday with a Saturday night game against the Houston Astros. Andre Pallante will start the game for the Cardinals while Lance McCullers Jr. will take the mound for the Astros. With Friday’s victory, St. Louis is now 11-8 on the season while the lowly Astros […]
Masyn Winn’s Offensive Issue is Similar to Cardinals Legend Ozzie Smith
It’s no secret that Masyn Winn is an elite defender. The Gold Glove trophy on his mantle is proof, but how much offense does he need to produce to become a part of the St. Louis Cardinals core? You need look no further than Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith as he and Masyn share a […]
What We’re Learning About Four Key Cardinals Prospects in Memphis
Today I want to check in on several of Memphis Redbird hitters through the Statcast lens. Fortunately for prospect hounds, the International League is fully wired up with pitch and hit tracking machines so there is a wealth of data available for the prospects at the highest level. The only other minor league team with […]
St Louis Cardinals Defeat Houston Astros 9-4!
To kick off tonight’s game, JJ Wetherholt singled on a ground ball to third baseman Carlos Correa. Iván Herrera flew out to center fielder Taylor Trammell for the first out of the game. Alec Burleson singled on a line drive to center fielder Taylor Trammell. JJ Wetherholt advanced to 3rd. Jordan Walker singled on a […]
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Houston Astros Friday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals will continue their strong start to the 2026 season by opening a series in Houston versus the Astros Friday night. Kyle Leahy is scheduled to make the start for the Cardinals. He’s 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA. Peter Lambert will start Friday night for the Astros. 7:15pm central is scheduled to […]
Felipe Lopez: The Secret Weapon’s Apprentice
How does a player go from being released by a last-place team to hitting .385 for the St. Louis Cardinals in the span of a single week? In this installment of Random Cardinal of the Week, Jim Plaza dives into the fascinating, “roller coaster” career of utility man Felipe Lopez. A former top-10 pick and […]