The St. Louis Cardinals took a step in the right direction in 2026, but there is a lot of work still left to do if the organization wants to reach the level that the Milwaukee Brewers currently are at.

Milwaukee has won four straight National League Central titles and will represent the National League in the World Series this fall. The vast majority of the Brewers' roster is under contract beyond the 2026 season. Plus, Milwaukee has an elite farm system led by baseball's No. 1 prospect, Jesus Made. The Cardinals have a tall task ahead of them if they want to get to the same level as Milwaukee. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom joined The Morning After STL and addressed the 2026 campaign and nailed his messaging. Bloom acknowledged that the Cardinals took a step forward with their young core, but also that the organization isn't where it wants to be right now.

"The biggest thing we wanted to have come front and center this year was that core coming into focus – the center of a group you could see standing on a podium someday," Bloom said. "We wanted to feel like that was something that was closer, and I do think that happened. We can look at it today and say you can see this group coming together. But, at the same time, when you zoom out, we won 77 games and it was abundantly clear that while we were exciting and fun to watch, we're still not anywhere close to where we need to be."

The Cardinals Aren't A Contender Just Yet

This is the exact mindset the Cardinals should have. If you look at the roster, you can start to see the vision for the organization. St. Louis' core pieces are guys like JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Leo Bernal, Masyn Winn and Joshua Baez, among others. In 2026, these guys all showed a lot, in different ways. There are other guys who thrived, like Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy as well.

While the Cardinals don't have the No. 1 overall prospect in the game, like Milwaukee, St. Louis actually has the No. 2 overall farm system in baseball, per Baseball America.

For the Cardinals to get back to contention and compete against the Brewers, they need these top prospects to make the jump to the big leagues — and make a positive impact on the organization. If you look at the Brewers' roster, it's full of homegrown pieces who play the game the right way.

Milwaukee didn't simply flip the switch one day and get to this point. It took time and that's where the Cardinals are at right now. St. Louis simply can't take shortcuts if it wants to put together a consistent winner. It doesn't sound like that will be the plan for St. Louis, which is for the best.