The St. Louis Cardinals kicked off the 2026 season in style, winning two out of three games over the Tampa Bay Rays and showing off some muscle offensively. This comes after players such as Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan were traded away.
While it’s still too early to tell what type of season they’ll have, the weekend against the Rays was a positive sign and should have fans intrigued at the very least. They need their young players to click for 2026 to be successful.
2011 World Series champion Lance Lynn commented on their early success and even compared it to that of a National League Central rival that has been flying under the radar for several years.
Lance Lynn sees Cards taking after NL Central rival
Mar 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) reacts after hitting a walk-off two run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
“If that whole lineup goes 15-20 (home runs) at .250-plus and hits their doubles, they are a pain in the butt team,” Lynn said. “And you know what team is very similar to that? The Milwaukee Brewers that just annoy everyone every year in and year out, and that’s what they’re building.”
The Cardinals don’t exactly have a lot of superstars in their lineup, but as Lynn notes, the Brewers are very similar in that regard. Still, the Brewers manage to score their runs and manufacture them rather than just rely on the home run ball.
The Cardinals don’t have anybody that is going to hit 30-plus home runs, save for possibly JJ Wetherholt. But this is a very similar lineup to what the Brewers have, and it goes to show that there are more ways to score runs than to just hit home runs.
The Cardinals have proven that in their first three games. There has been some power, but the Cardinals are also hitting doubles and manufacturing runs, and if they can do that, then the offense could be much better than people expect.
And even though there aren’t a lot of household names, there is a lot of talent in that lineup. Along with Wetherholt, the Cardinals have Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera. Meanwhile, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker are finally showing signs of promise.
What the Cardinals are building is very similar to what the Brewers have done, and if they can perfect that strategy without necessarily copying it, then the future is going to be very bright in St. Louis, and there will be a lot to look forward to.
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