The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive year in 2026, yet it didn't feel like it to the fanbase. Instead, they see that the Cardinals actually are making a lot of progress and are on the right path.

Year one of their rebuild was a success in terms of player development and where players fit on the roster. Now, the question is whether or not they can get back into contention sooner rather than later. Alec Burleson spoke with Jim Hayes, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson on the "Cardinal Territory" podcast, and he believes the Cardinals may be closer to October than we think.

"The moves that had to be made and were made before the season, I think it allowed us to find out what we have and what we don't have and what we need to take that next step and get into the playoffs," Burleson said.

"I think if you give a lot of these young guys another year of experience and I think you're going to see a lot of improvement from a lot of these guys. We were in the playoff hunt for the majority of the season. We're not far off and I think we've got a good core that we can add pieces around that will allow us to take that next step."

Alec Burleson thinks Cardinals are close

It still may be a year or two before the Cardinals are truly a playoff contender, but there is a lot to like about what they currently have. Chaim Bloom's plan is working so far, and perhaps a few tweaks in the offseason can make them a little better for 2027.

The Cardinals have always been an organization that prides itself on winning, so rebuilding is unfamiliar territory, but it was a necessary step in the process, and before long, the Cardinals should soon begin to see the benefits of what Bloom is trying to do to get them back to where they hope to be.

Burleson led Major League Baseball in RBI this season, so that's one piece the Cardinals can already bank on to be a true cornerstone for the next few years. There is certainly hope after 2026, and if the Cardinals supplement their young core with the right pieces, the future all of a sudden will look a lot brighter, and it should be interesting to see where they go from here.