The St. Louis Cardinals looked like a fourth- or fifth-place team before the start of the season as the team lacked an established veteran presence as well as depth among their starting pitchers as well consistency from their relievers. With so many question marks, it did not look like the Cardinals had a strong game plan for overcoming those expectations.

But manager Oliver Marmol refused to let preseason predictions of putting a hard-nosed and hungry team on the field. The Cardinals are in an excellent position as they approach the midway point of June. They are in second place in the National League Central with a 35-28 record. The Cardinals are 5.0 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, but the team is playing with aggression and without fear.

The big reasons for their success has been the development of three strong players in right fielder Jordan Walker, second baseman J.J. Wetherholt and first baseman Alex Burleson.

Walker is the team’s primary power source and he has come through with consistency. He is slashing .303/.362/.560 with 16 home runs, 47 runs batted in and a team-leading 10 stolen bases. Wetherholt is hitting .248 and he has bashed 9 home runs and driven in 25 runs. Burleson is hitting .290 with 8 home runs and 43 RBI and he has shown he can deliver clutch hits.

The Cardinals have been able to assert themselves this year even though they have not been especially impressive on the mound. Michael McGreevey has been their best pitcher this year even though he has just a 3-5 record. He has a 2.99 earned run average and has made eight quality starts. While he is not a fireballer, he induces soft contact from hitters. He has struck out just 49 batters in 72.1 innings and he has been dependable. Dustin May has also been fairly effective with a 4.59 ERA in 66.2 innings but a 3-6 record indicates that he could struggle at some point in the season.

Cardinals have big-time pitching needs if they are going to sustain their success

The Cardinals have some significant needs in their bullpen. Riley O’Brien is a five-year veteran who has done little to distinguish himself to this point in his career. O’Brien has 17 saves this season, but it may be difficult for him to sustain that success going forward.

Cardinals president of baseball operation Chaim Bloom needs to upgrade the bullpen by going back to one of his former employers to make a deal. Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox may be the best closer in baseball. He has been near-perfect in each of the past two seasons and he would give the Cardinals an air of intimidation if they were able to acquire his powerful left arm.

That could change the way opponents look at the Cardinals and the way the team feels about itself. Chapman has a remarkable 0.46 ERA this year and he has 13 saves for a Red Sox team that finds itself in last place in the AL East. The 38-year-old still has one of the best fastballs out of the bullpen in baseball. He has fanned 26 batters in 19.2 innings.

Chapman was brilliant in 2025 when the Red Sox made it to the playoffs. He had 32 saves a year ago and a 1.17 ERA while striking out 85 batters in 61.1 innings.

Earlier in his career, Chapman would just rear back and fire his fastball that would reach speeds of 103 MPH or perhaps even a bit higher. He is still a flamethrower, but he can spot his fastball over the inside or outside corner far more effectively than he did in the past and he also has an occasional breaking ball.

The presence of Chapman would make the Cardinals a far more effective team.

Robbie Ray would upgrade the starting staff

While the Cardinals have gotten reasonably effective starting pitching to this point, a pitcher like McGreevey does not have the track record to allow Bloom or Marmol to believe that he can go through the season without getting pummeled at times in August and September.

Picking up a starter like Robbie Ray from the Giants would be a huge addition for the Cardinals. Ray may not compare with Tarik Skubal of the Tigers or Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, but he has plenty of know-how and enough gas in the tank to get the job done.

The 34-year-old Ray has won the Cy Young in the past and pitching for a team that is fighting for a playoff spot should bring out his best. He has made 13 starts to this point in the year, and his 4.12 ERA is not pristine. However, he can still spot the ball and get good hitters out.

Both Chapman and Ray would also provide leadership to a pitching staff that could use a couple of stewards who can negotiate an opportunity that would help the Cardinals reach the postseason.