B-Schaeff Daily

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the trend of the Cardinals leading the majors in HBPs this year... Which showed up on Wednesday night.

Ivan Herrera was the hero on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals walk off another game in extra innings with the SFA club baseball team in the house one last time.On a day where the normally fundamentally sound Cards weren't hitting on all their marks, the bats picked up the slack with four homers, including the first of the walk-off variety of Herrera's career in the 10th.Tarps off just keeps providing the storylines for the Cardiac Cards.

St. Louis Cardinals x Stephen F. Austin club baseballApparently, it's a match made in Baseball Heaven.Brenden Schaeffer takes you behind the scenes with insights and musings about a wild couple of days at Busch Stadium.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down an epic night at Busch Stadium that leaves us wondering if the Cardinals are on the verge of something truly special this summer.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy chose to walk JJ Wetherholt to face Ivan Herrera at a pretty early spot in the game on Monday night -- and Herrera made him pay, opening up the game for the Cardinals by stroking a 3-run double.

The Cardinals dropped the series finale to the Dodgers on Sunday at Busch Stadium, 4-1, as the bats just could not get anything going against Justin Wrobleski -- despite the fact that the Dodgers starter didn't strike out a single Cardinal batter!Shohei Ohtani had an oddity of a series as Cardinals pitchers held him to a batting line in this series that he had never experienced in his MLB career.Still, the Cardinals were able to win the series and feel pretty good about their approach in the loss.

Cardinals did it again on Saturday night, winning over the Dodgers 3-2 thanks to strong outings from Michael McGreevy and Jordan Walker.The ninth inning took the Cardinals to the brink, but Riley O'Brien didn't fold, securing a win over LAD for the six-game winning streak.

The Cardinals debuted a home run chain on Friday night, beating the Dodgers 7-2 at Busch to win their 5th straight game.More details on the homer celebration, and how it came to be with regard to the chain and the barking and all of that good stuff. Plus, the Cardinals are 4th in MLB in homers now.... is this sustainable?

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals wild comeback win over the Pirates from Monday night, 4-2 at PNC Park.The Cardinals went from perfect game victims to stunning the Buccos with a four-run ninth inning in a shocking win.JJ Wetherholt plays one of the heroes in his hometown. And Jordan Walker had a HUGE moment that should not go unnoticed.We shout out Dustin May and several others from this improbable win.

The Cardinals lost another close game on Sunday, dropping the finale 3-2 to the Mariners.Does this team have the makeup to respond and shake off the recent losses? Its manager believes the answer is yes.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 11-9 loss to the Mariners from Saturday as Nathan Church was a shining star on a day that Cardinal pitching simply did not hold up.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 3-2 loss to the Mariners from Friday, April 24, 2026.Andre Pallante struck out 8 batters but gave up three runs including the go-ahead homer to Josh Naylor.Masyn Winn had a key RBI swing but it's all the Cardinals mustered in the game, letting an eighth-inning scoring chance fade with their best hitters at the plate.A new sounding podcast tonight, just to make sure y'all got one at all! Let me know some feedback!

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the concept of a JJ Wetherholt contract extension and whether it makes sense for the Cardinals -- as well as from Wetherholt's perspective.It's an interesting angle compared to recent deals for Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the controversial topic of a getaway day lineup for the Cardinals as Oli Marmol prioritized rest for a number pf key players on Wednesday. St. Louis dropped the game, 4-1, and the series as a result of the loss.What gives with the lineup? Is it possible there was some logic behind it? We explore.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 5-3 win over the Marlins from Tuesday night as Ryne Stanek continues to be an adventure in the bullpen.But Oliver Marmol had compelling reasons for trying to squeeze one last out from Stanek the way that he did -- and it has everything to do with managing the bullpen for the long haul.Luckily, Stanek's failure didn't cost the Cards the game as George Soriano and Riley O'Brien came through.We talk about the pitching plus the solid night by the bats as Nathan Church begins to potentially push Victor Scott II for more playing time in CF with a thunderous homer.

The Cardinals lost to the Marlins on Monday night and one stat from the game jumped out at Brenden when it comes to season-long success... This issue has been popping up far too often for the Cards, of late.If it continues, could it be the reason the team stops having as much success as we've seen early in the year?

Masyn Winn comes up with the big swing in his home town in the 10th inning in order to help put the Cardinals over the top in a sweep of the Astros on Sunday!That's five straight wins for the Redbirds as their record in close games this season is starting to be a noticeable talking point in their favor.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 7-5 win over the Astros from Saturday while reminding everyone that this just isn't the year to be nitpicking wins.Cards find a way, winning their fourth straight. Shout-out Jose Fermin!

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 9-4 win over the Astros in which Gorman and Herrera brought the thunder late to help make a winner of Kyle Leahy while sparing Riley O'Brien from having to pitch for the third time in four days.Masyn Winn also had a huge swing in this game that could be indicative of what the Cards needs him to become.

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the Cardinals gritty win over the Guardians Wednesday, 5-3.Can the team continue playing to a winning record through the mere notion of playing the game the right way, despite what appears to be several deficits for the roster relative to the big-boppers in the league?

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the Cardinals 6-5 win over the Guardians in walk-off fashion from Tuesday night as Nathan Church had the game-winning RBI sac fly in the 10th inning. The top of the lineup truly powered up, with JJ Wetherholt blasting two homers, and Ivan Herrera getting on the board with a dinger of his own.We also focus on a key contribution from the bullpen that many Cardinals fans were probably adamantly against seeing play out -- but it was ultimately the perfect decision and usage for a struggling reliever to redeem himself.

Brenden Schaeffer does another Jordan Walker podcast, because it's J-Walk's world and we're all just living in it at this point.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down Jordan Walker homering AGAIN to claim the solo lead of the MLB home run leaderboard on Sunday!

Brenden Schaeffer discusses Jordan Walker's continued hot stretch and how the last thing he wants to do is, well, talk about it.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals' 6-1 win over the Nationals as the Redbirds did what they had to do to salvage a series in D.C.Chasing Miles Mikolas from the game was key, as was the performance from Michael McGreevy, having the efficient outing needed to save the bullpen.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 7-6 win in extra innings over the Nationals on Tuesday night as Jordan Walker and Nathan Church had big swings to help the Redbirds pull off an unlike comeback win!

The Cardinals bullpen reared its ugly head in Monday's loss to the Nationals as Plan A, B and C all failed for Oli Marmol. So why should it have been a surprise when Plan D came up empty?We discuss the downstream effect of one pitcher not doing his job and the way that such an occurrence can put a whole bullpen and team behind the eight ball for the rest of a series.

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 2-1 win over the Mets in walk-off fashion on Thursday as Masyn Winn delivers the big winning hit in the 11th.The pitching staff and particularly the development of this bullpen coming together could be a legit weapon for Oli Marmol this year.Also, we update you on that debated Nelson Velazquez decision from last week...

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the Cardinals 3-0 win over the Mets from Tuesday at Busch Stadium.Andre Pallante pitched really well, but ran into issues in the sixth.Gordon Graceffo, freshly back from Memphis, was thrown into the fire for a key spot right away.He pulled a Houdini -- and boy did Masyn Winn ever help!Ivan Herrera had a nice day, too, but there are only so many things we can focus on for the pod, so this one's a pitching episode, for sure!

Brenden Schaeffer breaks down the Cardinals 4-2 loss to the Mets on Monday night at Busch Stadium as Kyle Leahy regrouped from early trouble to settle in for a solid outing -- until it seemed like he ran out of steam, extending for the first time in his MLB career into a fifth and sixth inning of work.But how about Nolan Gorman? Another homer for the slugging lefty and a quirky moment with Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez that Gorman thinks might have helped lead to his success on the home run.

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the Cardinals 11-7 loss to the Rays after covering it on Sunday at Busch Stadium. This episode focuses heavily on Jordan Walker, whose success at the plate triggered something we haven't seen from him since September 2024.Could the early results be a sign of things to come for Walker?Free discord: https://discord.gg/3TAMYx4S

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the latest JJ Wetherholt heroics as the Cardinals win over the Rays on Saturday at Busch Stadium, 6-5 in 10 innings.If you thought Wetherholt's first MLB game was special, how about the encore? A walk-off winner by the rookie (and a defensive gem, as well) has Cardinal Nation riding high to begin the 2026 season.

Brenden Schaeffer takes you behind the scenes of an electric opening day at Busch Stadium. Hear from JJ Wetherholt, Oliver Marmol and Alec Burleson, with insights on many of the big moments that made Thursday an incredible memory for Cardinals fans!

Brenden Schaeffer jumps on to discuss the news of the day -- his news!Brenden will be covering Cardinals home games for MLB.com and Cardinals.com in 2026, and will be joined on the coverage team by Josh Jacobs (Dealin' the Cards) and Kyle Reis (Prospects After Dark) in their various roles.Excited to get going with this new venture on Thursday for Opening Day at Busch! Follow the podcast feed for coverage all summer long!

The Cardinals' did not create a spot on the 40-man roster for spring training standout slugger Nelson Velazquez, optioning him to AAA to begin the season.Who plays left field now with Nootbaar on the IL? We'll discuss that information and the potential thought process behind the surprising front office decision. Plus, tune into the show WEDNESDAY for an fun announcement.

Brenden Schaeffer described the lay of the land with the Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot featuring Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols for the first time.Rest assured, this won't be a year where the vote is limited to one player being selected.

Brenden Schaeffer discusses whether the Ramon Urias signing from over the weekend is a good fit for the Cardinals roster and what it could mean for Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin.

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the possibility that JJ Wetherholt could be considered for a role as the Cardinals leadoff man in 2026.Would it be putting too much on his plate, too soon? Or is the club's top prospect simply built for this?

Brenden Schaeffer discusses a topic that has been often fantasized about by Cardinals fans, but is one that has now come to fruition as Yadier Molina has been at Cardinals spring training in Jupiter in recent days, sharing his wisdom with the next generation of catchers.What has the impact been, plus, we clean up some misconceptions about Ivan Herrera working in the outfield earlier in the week.

The Cardinals announced the way they will be handling new prospect Loo Cijntje as a switch pitcher in 2026 big-league camp after the talented 22-year-old threw in games as both a lefty and a righty last season in the Seattle organization.His inclusion among the Cards' prospect ranks now paints the minor-league pitching depth in an even more intriguing light.

Brenden Schaeffer discusses the concept of the Cardinals reaching out to longtime rival player Andrew McCutchen to fill the need for some right-handed hitting outfield help.With the Pirates shunning Cutch and the longtime star believing he's got gas left in the tank, there's a case to be made that he fits what St. Louis needs on its roster--and that his 2025 stats show how he could contribute this summer for the Redbirds.

Chaim Bloom spoke with reporters on Thursday in Jupiter and shared that Lars Nootbaar will be delayed in arriving to Cardinals camp. Don't panic: The reason seems like a pretty understandable one.Plus, an update on Ivan Herrera's WBC participation.

Oli Marmol was asked by STL Sports Central's Mike Claiborne Wednesday about which area of the Cardinals roster he is most looking forward to seeing play out and establish itself this spring.Though he listed a number of names, there was a clear aspect of the club that he's eager to see get to work. And frankly, he's right: this aspect of the roster will be most critical to whatever success St. Louis could enjoy in the summer of 2026.

The Cardinals made a trade on Tuesday, sending Andre Granillo to the Nationals -- and the player they got in return is now on his FIFTH team of the winter! What gives?

Brenden Schaeffer discusses this projected St. Louis Cardinals lineup for 2026, which comes from RosterResource, a FanGraphs-backed outlet that digs into the nitty gritty for the rosters of all 30 MLB teams.They have Lars Nootbaar as the Cards' leadoff hitter, plus an interesting take on the catcher position. Do we agree with their projections? We discuss!

According to baseball reporter Francys Romero, the Cardinals are signing international free agent Leonil De Leon out of the Dominican Republic.De Leon is described as one of the top pitchers in this international free agent class. Is this late addition to the class a big get for St. Louis?

The Cardinals made a waiver claim on Friday, snagging third baseman Bryan Ramos from Baltimore. He hit 16 homers in AAA last year...Could Ramos be a good fit for the St. Louis bench? Did Chaim Bloom find a diamond in the rough? We discuss!

The Cardinals traded Brendan Donovan to the Mariners and in a three-team trade, got five total assets in return. Was the haul worth it for their lone 2025 All-Star? We discuss.

The Cardinals announced today that Yadi is BACK! What does it mean and what role will he fill in 2026?

Brenden Schaeffer reacts to the news from Sunday night of the Cardinals trading Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox for Hunter Dobbins and two pitching prospects.How does this impact the Cardinals off-season as Chaim Bloom continues to reshape the roster?

The Cardinals lost the MLB Draft lottery by landing at 13th pick despite having the eighth-best odds at the number one overall pick.But is this the worst outcome? Not necessarily, given the direction the team is likely to be heading int the next couple of years, and what losing out on a lotto pick this year could mean for their opportunity to gain them in future upcoming drafts.We explained it all in this episode!