League: MLB Sport: Baseball Country: United States Category: Injuries

St. Louis Cardinals bullpen struggles in 2026, ranks among MLB's worst

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 16, 2026, 11:04 AM

Last updated Sep 16, 2026

St. Louis Cardinals bullpen struggles in 2026, ranks among MLB's worst

Summary

The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen has been underperforming in 2026, currently ranked 26th in MLB in fWAR at.3. With a.299 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) against, the bullpen has struggled significantly in leaving runners on base, sitting at 3rd worst in the league in LOB%. Key contributors Gordon Graceffo and Justin Bruihl have logged significant innings but have not produced standout statistics. The bullpen's future performance may depend on the development of lesser-used relievers like Quinn Mathews, who has shown promise with a strong K percentage and improved walks allowed. No reliever is close to matching the top performances of the previous seasons, highlighting a major area of concern for the team ahead of the postseason.

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Status Watch

•Cardinals rank 20th in total pitching productivity as of September 16, 2026.
•Bullpen has the 3rd worst LOB% in MLB, allowing too many inherited runners to score.
•Gordon Graceffo has pitched 73 innings with a 2.71 ERA.
•Justin Bruihl has thrown 72.2 innings with a 3.59 ERA, showing some potential.
•Quinn Mathews is emerging as a promising option with strong strikeout performance.

Latest Updates

11:04 AMYahoo Sports — The 2026 St Louis Cardinals Bullpen: Is It Unhealthy?

What they're saying

"
the St Louis Cardinals are 20th in total pitching productivity by fWAR. Right around where the Diamondbacks are at. Overall, the Cardinals pitching staff has a .299 BABIP against. So they’re not just hapless and unlucky. They might be hapless though. I’m looking at you, bullpen. Yes, the Cardinals bullpen has been among the worst […]
— Yahoo Sports

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Arizona Diamondbacks St. Louis Cardinals MLB Baseball