St. Louis finished with 77 wins in 2026, one fewer than the year before. The standings tell a simple story of a team that is still building. But the box scores hide a different truth about one specific pitcher. Justin Bruihl, a left-handed reliever acquired from Cleveland, became the most reliable arm in the pen. He made 73 appearances, the most by a Cardinals lefty since Andrew Miller in 2019. That number matters more than the final win-loss record.
The Cardinals needed a spark in a season where they traded away veterans like JoJo Romero and Dustin May. They were supposed to grow up fast, but they ended up 77-85. Still, Bruihl proved that the young group has talent. He kept hitters off balance and forced them to hit the ball on the ground. This approach worked even when the team around him struggled to score runs.
Weak Contact Was the Key
Bruihl did not strike out a huge number of batters, but he did not give up many hard hits either. He allowed a .253 batting average against, which is solid for a reliever in this league. More importantly, he induced weak contact that led to easy outs. He gave up just four home runs all season while tossing 77 and two-thirds innings. That control kept the Cardinals in games they otherwise might have lost by a wide margin.
The article notes Bruihl got off to a slow start but ultimately came on strong as the season progressed. He posted 11 holds and only blew two save opportunities. His 3.59 ERA was not perfect, but it was better than the team’s bullpen average. The staff as a whole gave up runs at a 4.40 clip, which was the fifth-worst in the National League. Bruihl stood out as a guy who could get through the middle innings without blowing the lead.
Young Arms Showing Growth
Manager Oliver Marmol has been vocal about how much the roster has improved since spring training. He knows the team is young, but he also sees the progress. “This is a really young group, but there’s been a lot of progress with so many of these guys,” Marmol said. He pointed to the rotation and the bullpen as areas where the players are hungry to learn. They want to be coaches and they listen to every piece of advice they get.
Growth showed up in other places too, like with George Soriano and other journeymen who set career highs. But Bruihl was the one who held the line when the team needed him most. He is just one piece of the puzzle, but he is a key piece. The Cardinals cannot win the World Series with just one good reliever, but they cannot win at all without one.
The team faces a big decision with Ryne Stanek, who has a $6 million option for 2027. Per Sports Illustrated, the option is unlikely to be picked up because the market value is lower. This leaves holes in the bullpen that Bruihl alone cannot fill. The front office must decide if they keep Stanek or look for new arms to add to the mix. They might target a veteran like Nick Martinez, who had a great year with the Rays.
The gap between St. Louis and the top teams is still wide. The Brewers finished 26 games ahead of the Cardinals and beat them in 11 of 13 meetings. Bruihl’s success shows the potential is there, but the roster needs more help. To stand a chance of surprising observers in 2027, the front office must repair the bullpen this winter.
