5 Reasons Why St. Louis Cardinals Fans Should Be Happy-Really

There are two things that don't seem to be associated with each other much lately: St. Louis Cardinals fans and happiness. I'm going to attempt to turn your frown upside down with 5 reasons that Cardinals fans really should be happy and I'm not even kidding a little bit.

Let's face facts. The St. Louis Cardinals past 3 seasons have been a real bummer.

Having a losing season in 2023 and maybe this season, too, and not making the playoffs for the past 3 years has not brought much joy to St. Louis Cardinals nation. Since I love to be a shiny happy person, I've got 5 legit reasons why we really should be happy moving forward.

Happy fact #1: The John Mozeliak era is almost over

I think that John Mozeliak deserves more credit than he's been given for guiding the team through some victories. His trade for Nolan Arenado was still genius, but now is not the time to mention that to Cardinals fans. Let's focus on the fact that we are on the precipice of a new era with Chaim Bloom taking over Cardinals baseball operations. He's famous for being able to do a lot with a little (looking at his time with the Tampa Bay Rays). It will be fascinating to see what he does during the upcoming offseason. I am choosing to be optimistic that the Cardinals team that begins 2026 will look completely different (and better) than the one we saw on the field this year.

Happy fact #2: Several players have proven to be keepers this year

Brendan Donovan has developed into an all-star. Ivan Herrera has proven he can flat-out hit. Jimmy Crooks looks like a catcher with real promise. Masyn Winn is a guy you can build a franchise around. While not all of our young players have had promising years (looking at you, Jordan Walker), there is a real reason to be happy about the young core of Cardinals.

Happy fact #3: Our young pitchers look solid

If Michael McGreevy had been put in the St. Louis Cardinals starting rotation earlier this season, the team would likely be a legit wild card contender this year. Since the current bosses kept Eric Fedde longer than they should, that didn't happy. Still, McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore can be relied upon to be part of the starting rotation in 2026. That's a reason to smile.

Happy fact #4: Nolan Gorman is starting to play like Nolan Gorman

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The two players that many of us Cardinals fans hoped would be the superstar core of our future are Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker. 50% of that duo has started to wake up and find himself. Gorman has proven to be a sometimes spectacular third baseman and sometimes clueless, but his bat seems to have righted itself. I predict another offseason with hitting coach Brant Brown will make Nolan the threat next season we always knew he could be. Jordan Walker, on the other hand...

Happy fact #5: This season is hopefully the worst this downturn will get

The truth is that the past 3 seasons would probably have been worse if Oli Marmol were not around. He's done a solid job of juggling an insufficient roster to keep the St. Louis Cardinals playing around .500 ball. That being said, he's likely headed out the door due to the horrific attendance this season. I am convinced that Chaim Bloom will want the appearance of a brand new team and outlook next season that I predict will include adding at next year's trade deadline instead of subtracting. Will the Cardinals be legitimate playoff contenders? That depends on a lot of things, but I do believe we've seen the worst of the Cardinals downturn. Here's to happier days.