September 28, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals news
The St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff hopes came to an end on Sept. 24 with a loss to the San Francisco Giants, officially eliminating them from contention. What was meant to be a “runway” season to evaluate talent instead became a year marked by regression, inconsistency, and frustration.
While some players showed promise and positioned themselves as part of the long-term core, others faltered under the weight of expectations. Their struggles not only cost the Cardinals wins in 2025 but also accelerated the team’s slide toward what increasingly looks like a full-scale rebuild.
Here are five players most responsible for the team’s disappointing season:
Andre Pallante
A year ago, Andre Pallante looked like one of the Cardinals’ most promising arms. After transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation in 2024, he proved he could handle the workload of a starter, finishing the season with a strong 3.25 ERA in his final 15 outings. His heavy sinker and sharp knuckle-curve gave St. Louis hope he could anchor the rotation for years to come.
But 2025 told a very different story. Pallante opened the season with encouraging numbers — a 4.05 ERA and .235 opponent batting average through five starts — before opponents adjusted. Over his final 26 starts, his ERA ballooned to 5.56, and hitters tagged him for a .277 average. His knuckle-curve, once dubbed his “death ball,” no longer drew chases; its whiff rate plummeted, making him far more hittable.
Even though Pallante continued to generate ground balls at an elite 60% clip, his mistakes were punished. His home run-per-fly ball rate nearly doubled, from 9.6% in 2024 to 17.6% in 2025. In a season when the Cardinals desperately needed rotation stability, Pallante was more liability than solution.
For a pitcher once seen as part of the future, his inconsistency leaves his role for 2026 in doubt. Instead of being penciled into the top of the rotation, Pallante will have to fight to prove he belongs in the Cardinals’ plans.
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