The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in all of baseball. Around since the late 1800s, the Cardinals have won 11 championships and produced more than a dozen Hall of Fame players, including some of the sport’s absolute best.
But they enter 2026 spring training having missed the playoffs three years in a row, and in 2025 suffered their second-worst season of the 21st century, finishing fourth in the NL Central, 19 games back of first place.
The Cardinals are not in a full-on rebuild, but they have their work cut out for them. Two of their division rivals are among the favorites in the NL, and a handful of other teams are further along in their quest for the playoffs. But as one of the best organizations in baseball, you can’t count the Cardinals out. And for Cardinals fans, there is enough excitement with baseball season being back that they can find room for optimism.
Check out the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals TV schedule right here to make sure you never miss a single steal, home run or seventh inning stretch of the upcoming season.
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St. Louis Cardinals Team Info
Founding Season: 1882
Division: National League Central
Home Ballpark: Busch Stadium
World Series Titles: 11 (1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011)
2025 Finish: Did not make the playoffs
How Did the St. Louis Cardinals Do in 2025?
The Cardinals finished fourth in the NL Central, 19 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers, and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
Offensively, St. Louis finished middle of the pack — right around league average in most hitting categories — but were one of the league’s worst in slugging percentage. On the year, they finished only above the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates with 148 home runs. The major issue with their offense was an almost complete lack of power.
Traditionally one of the better pitching teams in baseball, St. Louis also posted a below average ERA. Their pitching staff had the second fewest strikeouts in all of baseball. In a league where home runs on offense and strikeouts from the pitching staff largely determine success, St. Louis was left in the dust by their NL Central rivals.
On the year, it was Wilson Contreras, Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson that carried much of the offensive output. Contreras hit 20 home runs, Herrera hit 19 and Burleson hit 18. Victor Scott II, still just 24, put together a solid year in the field and stole 34 bases. Nolan Arenado had a lackluster season by his standards, playing in just 107 games. Twenty-three-year-old shortstop Mason Wynn put together a Gold Glove season, and Brendan Donovan was their sole All-Star representative.
St. Louis ultimately finished 2025 disappointed.
St. Louis Cardinals 2026 Schedule
In their quest to bounce back from a lackluster 2025, the Cardinals start their season with nine games in the first few weeks against playoff-caliber teams. That includes a home series against the New York Mets, a series on the road in Detroit, two home series against Boston and Cleveland, and a road trip to Houston. All of those series happen by the middle of April.
And it doesn’t slow down there. They start May with a three-game slate against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, then host the reigning NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, before traveling to San Diego for a four-game slate.
If St. Louis wants their fate in 2026 to look different than a year ago, a hot start against quality teams would go a long way toward any playoff push.
Check out the Cardinals’ first half of the 2026 MLB season to find out when to tune in to watch live on TV. Games without national broadcasters are typically available through a team’s RSN or local streaming channel.
| Date | Matchup | Time | Watch Info |
| Thu, Mar 26 | vs Tampa Bay Rays | 4:15 PM | — |
| Sat, Mar 28 | vs Tampa Bay Rays | 2:15 PM | — |
| Sun, Mar 29 | vs Tampa Bay Rays | 2:15 PM | — |
| Mon, Mar 30 | vs New York Yankees | 7:45 PM | — |
| Tue, Mar 31 | vs New York Yankees | 7:45 PM | — |
| Wed, Apr 1 | vs New York Yankees | 1:15 PM | — |
| Fri, Apr 3 | @ Detroit Tigers | 1:10 PM | — |
| Sat, Apr 4 | @ Detroit Tigers | 1:10 PM | — |
| Sun, Apr 5 | @ Detroit Tigers | 7:20 PM | Peacock |
| Mon, Apr 6 | @ Washington Nationals | 6:45 PM | — |
| Tue, Apr 7 | @ Washington Nationals | 6:45 PM | — |
| Wed, Apr 8 | @ Washington Nationals | 4:05 PM | — |
| Fri, Apr 10 | vs Boston Red Sox | 8:15 PM | — |
| Sat, Apr 11 | vs Boston Red Sox | 7:15 PM | FOX |
| Sun, Apr 12 | vs Boston Red Sox | 2:15 PM | — |
| Mon, Apr 13 | vs Cleveland Guardians | 7:45 PM | — |
| Tue, Apr 14 | vs Cleveland Guardians | 7:45 PM | — |
| Wed, Apr 15 | vs Cleveland Guardians | 1:15 PM | — |
| Fri, Apr 17 | @ Houston Astros | 8:10 PM | — |
| Sat, Apr 18 | @ Houston Astros | 7:10 PM | — |
| Sun, Apr 19 | @ Houston Astros | 2:10 PM | — |
| Mon, Apr 20 | @ Miami Marlins | 6:40 PM | — |
| Tue, Apr 21 | @ Miami Marlins | 6:40 PM | — |
| Wed, Apr 22 | @ Miami Marlins | 12:10 PM | — |
| Fri, Apr 24 | vs Seattle Mariners | 8:15 PM | — |
| Sat, Apr 25 | vs Seattle Mariners | 2:15 PM | — |
| Sun, Apr 26 | vs Seattle Mariners | 2:15 PM | — |
| Mon, Apr 27 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | 6:40 PM | — |
| Tue, Apr 28 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | 6:40 PM | — |
| Wed, Apr 29 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | 6:40 PM | — |
| Thu, Apr 30 | @ Pittsburgh Pirates | 12:35 PM | — |
| Fri, May 1 | vs Los Angeles Dodgers | 8:15 PM | — |
| Sat, May 2 | vs Los Angeles Dodgers | 7:15 PM | FOX |
| Sun, May 3 | vs Los Angeles Dodgers | 2:15 PM | — |
| Mon, May 4 | vs Milwaukee Brewers | 7:45 PM | FS1 |
| Tue, May 5 | vs Milwaukee Brewers | 7:45 PM | — |
| Wed, May 6 | vs Milwaukee Brewers | 1:15 PM | — |
| Thu, May 7 | @ San Diego Padres | 10:10 PM | — |
| Fri, May 8 | @ San Diego Padres | 9:40 PM | — |
| Sat, May 9 | @ San Diego Padres | 7:15 PM | FOX |
| Sun, May 10 | @ San Diego Padres | 4:10 PM | — |
| Tue, May 12 | @ Oakland Athletics | 9:40 PM | — |
| Wed, May 13 | @ Oakland Athletics | 9:40 PM | — |
| Thu, May 14 | @ Oakland Athletics | 3:05 PM | — |
| Fri, May 15 | vs Kansas City Royals | 8:15 PM | — |
| Sat, May 16 | vs Kansas City Royals | 2:15 PM | — |
| Sun, May 17 | vs Kansas City Royals | 2:15 PM | — |
| Tue, May 19 | vs Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:45 PM | — |
| Wed, May 20 | vs Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:45 PM | — |
| Thu, May 21 | vs Pittsburgh Pirates | 1:15 PM | — |
| Fri, May 22 | @ Cincinnati Reds | 6:40 PM | — |
| Sat, May 23 | @ Cincinnati Reds | 7:15 PM | FOX |
| Sun, May 24 | @ Cincinnati Reds | 1:40 PM | — |
| Mon, May 25 | @ Milwaukee Brewers | 2:10 PM | — |
| Tue, May 26 | @ Milwaukee Brewers | 7:40 PM | — |
| Wed, May 27 | @ Milwaukee Brewers | 1:40 PM | — |
| Fri, May 29 | vs Chicago Cubs | 8:15 PM | — |
| Sat, May 30 | vs Chicago Cubs | 7:15 PM | FOX |
| Sun, May 31 | vs Chicago Cubs | 7:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
St. Louis Cardinals Schedule
No games today? Find another matchup on the full MLB schedule, which includes MLB players, MLB teams and MLB standings to keep your head in the game.
How to Watch the St. Louis Cardinals in 2026
If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, there are plenty of ways to catch every game on the St. Louis Cardinals schedule on DIRECTV. Below are a few places where you can watch the Cardinals’ baseball games.
- MLB Team Channel – DIRECTV Channel TBD
- FOX SPORTS 1 – DIRECTV Channel 219
- MLB NETWORK®– DIRECTV Channel 213
- ESPN – DIRECTV Channel 206
- ESPN 2 – DIRECTV Channel 209
- MLB EXTRA INNINGS®
- ABC – Find your local ABC channel
- FOX – Find your local FOX channel
- TBS – DIRECTV Channel 247
- NBC – Find your local NBC channel
Top St. Louis Cardinals Players to Watch in 2026
While stopping short of calling it a full rebuild, the Cardinals are clearly in the midst of a significant transition. St. Louis traded Sonny Gray, Wilson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan — their lone All-Star from a year ago — signaling a new approach centered on younger players and prospects they hope will form the nucleus of their next competitive team.
JJ Wetherholt – Second Base
By trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners, the Cardinals cleared a path at second base for JJ Wetherholt, their No. 5 overall prospect. Wetherholt hit .304 with 19 home runs across 138 minor league games in 2025. He projects as a potential .300 hitter with 20-home run power and 20-stolen base speed — a skill set that could make him a fixture in the Cardinals’ lineup for years to come.
Masyn Winn – Shortstop
Winn established himself as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball a year ago, earning a Gold Glove with a cannon arm that makes him look every bit the part of the Cardinals shortstop of the future. Along with his sterling defense, Winn has shown the potential for solid offensive output, hitting 15 home runs and 32 doubles in 2024. After missing more than 20 games last year due to injury, he will look to find his offensive groove again and combine it with his elite defense.
Victor Scott II – Center Field
Scott became the full-time center fielder for the Cardinals last year and had a below average offensive season balanced out by an elite defensive season. He posted +17 outs above average, tied for seventh in all of baseball. The question now is whether he can be more than just a speed-and-defense guy and give the Cardinals a more consistent offensive presence that they desperately need.
Jordan Walker – Left Field
Walker has long been viewed as a high-upside prospect, but he has yet to deliver a breakout season. Still just 23, he has not posted a year with positive Wins Above Replacement or played more than 117 games in a season. His offensive production has declined each year, though flashes of power remain. If the Cardinals are going to take a step forward in 2026, Walker will need to turn his potential into consistent results.
Iván Herrera – Designated Hitter / Catcher
Herrera had a breakout season last year with 19 home runs and an .837 OPS and will once again look to power the Cardinals offense. He may get a chance to display that power behind the plate as the Cardinals’ catcher, but coming off right elbow surgery, he is more than likely to open as the Cardinals’ Opening Day designated hitter.
Matthew Liberatore – Starting Pitcher
Liberatore converted to a full-time starter last season, posting a 4.21 ERA in 21 starts. Because of how depleted this Cardinals pitching staff is, he may be the de facto ace. The Cardinals will be counting on him to find his groove as a starter and improve his walks and hits per innings pitched, which hovered around 1.3 a year ago.
St. Louis Cardinals Rivalries
As one of the league’s original franchises and one of its most successful, the Cardinals have rivalries dating back decades with division crowns, pennants and World Series titles on the line. Entering 2026, here is where their primary rivalries stand.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs
The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have one of the longest standing rivalries in major league baseball, having played more than 2,500 times since 1885. Though the two teams find themselves at very different points entering the 2026 season, this rivalry is enough to buck those expectations and offer competitive baseball no matter the rosters.
- April 14-16: Cardinals at Wrigley Field
- May 29-31: Cubs at Busch Stadium (May 30 – FOX; May 31 – NBC & Peacock)
- July 3-5: Cardinals at Wrigley Field (July 4 – FOX; July 5 – Peacock)
- July 27-30: Cubs at Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Few rivalries are as lopsided entering 2026 as the one between the Dodgers and the Cardinals. Two of the National League’s premiere franchises, the Dodgers enter this season as the two-time defending World Champions, while the Cardinals are in near-rebuild mode having missed the playoffs in three straight seasons. We’ll see if the magic of this rivalry is enough to overcome the immense talent difference between the two rosters.
- May 1-3: Dodgers at Busch Stadium (May 2 – FOX)
- September 1-3: Cardinals at Dodger Stadium
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