When Nathan Church robbed a homer to preserve the Cardinals' 5-4 win in Pittsburgh on Wednesday it was the third such spectacular defensive play of the season for the rookie outfielder.
In Cardinals’ lore, Jose Oquendo is affectionately known as “The Secret Weapon,” a nicknamed bestowed upon the super utility player by Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck.
On the 2026 Cardinals, outfielder Nathan Church might be ready to assume the “Secret Weapon” nickname for all the ways that he has surprisingly helped the Cardinals this season.
On Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Church retreated to the left field wall, leaped in the air and snagged what likely would have been a walk-off, game-winning two-run home run for Pirates third baseman Nick Martinez. Cardinals’ standout closer Riley O’Brien looked on in amazement following the Church grab and catcher Ivan Herrera shook his head in awe as he thought the ball was almost certainly out of the park when it left the bat.
“That was kind of scary because I thought that ball was going to go out,” Herrera told Cardinals.TV following the 5-4 win preserved by Church. “It was such a good game and we were playing hard, but I thought that ball was gone. But we have Church out there who makes all those big plays easily.”
Already this season, Church has robbed three home runs from his position in left field. On Opening Day, when Church added the offense with three hits, he also extended his glove high above the wall to rob Ryan Vilade of a potential homer. Then, last Saturday against the Mariners, Church not only hit two homers, but he similarly robbed Mitch Garver of a potential long ball by going up high over the wall with his lefty glove.
“The first rule of thumb is to get to the wall as fast as you can,” Church said while explaining his strategy for trying to snatch potential homers out of the air. “Then, if there’s a play to be made, try to jump and catch it.”
Church used that strategy to perfection again in Wednesday’s ninth inning at PNC Park. Gonzalez drilled an O’Brien slider 97.8 mph to the low wall in left field. Church used his plus speed to retreat backward and to his right to haul in the catch before it could sail into the seats for what would have been a winning long ball for the Pirates.
“He’s definitely been fun to watch, but behind the scenes, it’s all about the work that he puts in,” Cardinals outfield coach Jon Jay told Cardinals.TV. “He’s a super humble kid and he’s always ready to work. It’s fun to see him make plays like that out in the outfield.”
Church gives Cards two standout rookie performers
While JJ Wetherholt has gotten most of the headlines – especially after his game-tying homer on Monday night and his lead-off homer against superstar right-hander Paul Skenes on Thursday – Church has also had a solid start to his rookie season.
Church is slashing just .235/.273/.432/.705, but he’s hit five home runs and driven in 13. Pushed into duty with Lars Nootbaar still rehabbing following surgery on both his ankles over the winter, Church is perfect in three stolen base attempts, and he’s been on of the team’s most aggressive base runners in terms of taking an extra base when outfielders make poor throws.
None of that surprises Skenes, who was on the El Toro high school baseball team with Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Long before they both made it to the big leagues. Skenes admitted to looking up the older Church as a team leader in high school.
“He was like the veteran presence on the team – he was two years older than me, he was committed to a college, which was really cool at the time and he was a junior when I was a freshman,” Skenes told reporters in Pittsburgh while also mentioning a walk-off homer that Church hit off current Pirates pitcher Jared Jones. “He was showing us the ropes on how to be a high schooler. And we played together in my sophomore year, when he was a good player and he still in.”
Church was largely unable to enjoy two of the biggest games of his two-year career because of the final score. Last Saturday, when he smashed two homers and robbed Garver, he was bummed by the Cardinals losing 11-9. On Sunday, when he hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, the Cardinals fell again when the bullpen surrendered the lead again.
“I’m just trying to find different ways to help the ball club win,” Church said recently.
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