Cardinals' Offensive Gains in 2026 Tempered by Struggles at Home, Poor Finish

A poor finish to the season by the St. Louis Cardinals overshadowed many of the gains that the team made offensively in 2026. Firmly in contention for a Wild Card slot most of the season, the Cardinals lost nine of their last 11 games, went just 9-15 in September and finished 13 games below .500 after the MLB All-Star Game after going 50-45 before the break.

Alec Burleson won MLB's RBI crown with 116, and he became the first Cardinals' player to lead MLB in runs batted in since Joe Torre in 1971. Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera evolved into first-time All-Stars, and Walker went to Philadelphia and captured the Home Run Derby in dramatic fashion over hometown hero Kyle Schwarber. JJ Wetherholt homered in his first game, had a walk-off hit in his second game and was solid offensively from the leadoff spot most of the season before fading down the stretch, in part, because of right wrist tendinitis.

Many of the Cardinals offensive numbers were also tempered by the team's problems hitting at notoriously pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium. The Cards scored 100 more runs on the road (410) than at home (310), averaging 5.1 runs a game in visiting parks and just 3.8 runs a night in front of the home fans. They hit 99 road homers, compared to just 68 in Busch's hot, humid air. Their 3.8 runs, 68 homers and .661 OPS at home ranked last in the National League.

Here is a look at where the Cardinals ranked among the 15 teams in the NL in every major offensive category:

Runs -- 10th

Hits -- 13th

Doubles -- 13th

Triples -- 14th

Homers -- 13th

RBI -- T-9th

BB -- 12th

K -- 3rd fewest

Stolen bases -- 11th

Caught stealing -- T-5th fewest

Batting average -- 13th

On Base Percentage -- 10th

Slugging -- 15th

On Base Plus Slugging (OPS) -- 15th