When do Cardinal fans have to stop saying “it’s still early” before being excited about the 2026 team? The Sportists consider this as well as the amazing start of JJ Wetherholt. Also, there’s a “catching glut” that could work to their advantage later in the season, along with the return of Lars Nootbaar – which could be less than a month away.

Paul Skenes and Jacob Misiorowski are confounding MLB hitters and the Cubs are piling up wins, but not distance between themselves and Central Division competitors. We’re now living in a world of 103 mph fastballs which could explain why batting averages are so low.

An unsettling week for Mizzou as a superstar running back is involved in a shooting incident and there are far more questions than answers. In more positive Mizzou news, the Tigers may be about to play the Saint Louis University Billikens on the hardwood for the first time since 2001. Things get downright strange between SEC rivals and the 24-team football playoff is gaining a disturbing amount of momentum.

The NFL gives the Chiefs some major prime-time slots early in the season and is it bad when an NFL team tells a quarterback to forget everything from college and start over? All of this plus two big wins for St. Louis CITY, a surprise coaching hire at Missouri State and your weekly dose of World Cup madness in this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

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The Cardinals continue to roll and are starting to get some national attention. Wetherholt and Walker, specifically, are getting some callouts for their noteworthy starts to 2026. How long before other teams begin to call for players that were thought to be trade chips at the start of the season?

Around the league, the injury bug hits Detroit and the Cubs are winning in an annoying fashion (if you’re a Cardinal fan). The “window” may be closing for the Astros – one of the first MLB teams to “tank” early in the last decade.

The Sportists remember Ted Turner and realize they could fill an entire pod with his accomplishments and contributions. They also remember John Sterling and his unforgettable calls behind the mic.

Patrick Mahomes may influence the NFL schedule by not playing. And yet another Kentucky Derby winner is skipping the Preakness. The Blues have two top-15 picks in the upcoming NHL draft … or do they?

College coaches have lots of ideas about the game and Nick Saban has a controversial take – a salary cap? The Brendan Sorsby gambling saga continues to unwind with an unexpected plot twist coming in to play.

The LIV tour has really good lawyers, the PGA Championship approaches and we may have reached the peak of 70s nostalgia as a fictional radio station comes to life. All of this and more in an action-packed edition of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

Can bad football save your life? The Sportists may have an instance. Surprisingly good baseball is being played by the St. Louis Cardinals as they close out April with a flourish. The catchers are providing unexpected offense, and this may be a season to not jump to conclusions on player performance.

Around the league, managers are getting axed early and ABS continues to have unintended consequences. And the balance of power may have shifted to the National League after years of American League dominance.

The NFL Draft is in the books and the Chiefs seemed to address their glaring needs – perhaps by keeping certain individuals out of the draft room. A huge crowd in Pittsburgh didn’t hear Diego Pavia’s name called. Will his chance come in Baltimore or Birmingham?

It’s Kentucky Derby weekend – should you drop 10 on Commandment? It’ll be a pleasant day in Louisville, but will you be wearing a fascinator? LIV may die in Louisiana as the tour is officially on life support.

The Blues have major decisions in the offseason regarding key players. Which one-time cornerstone players will be back? And is one promising forward due a major extension?

Sports betting takes a dark turn for a highly-sought-after college quarterback. Brendan Sorsby’s “leave of absence” could unfortunately be an extended one. And is five years of eligibility the new four with no redshirts? Momentum seems headed in that direction.

All of this plus a Cardinal legend’s calls to the jockey room at the Derby (heh, heh, heh) Huey P. Long, The St. Louis Sun and a return to the mud hut on this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

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The Cardinals are still off to a strong start but there are troubling stats that need to be watched. Riley O’Brien is exciting in a good way and Ryan Stanek is driving fans to antacids. The NL Central is overperforming, and the Mets are hilariously underperforming. Is a mayoral hug to be blamed?

The Royals finally have a new stadium site, but where’s the parking? Perhaps the Truman sports complex? The “other” Kansas City team (for now) – the Chiefs – draft for the future at a much higher position than usual. And the needs are plentiful.

Is Diego Pavia this year’s Shedeur Sanders? The team gives some sleepers to watch and some thoughts on where to watch the three day extravaganza

Loose Ends return with a look at future Super Bowl venues, PGA and LIV updates, items from around the NFL and the latest clickbait offering from Stephen A. Smith. And he’s the one who brought his grandmother into it.

In the NCAA, has a can’t-miss prospect at Michigan missed? Big changes are coming to the stadium experience at Nebraska. The LSU roster is currently … empty. And Mizzou at least tries to schedule better opponents in basketball.

As predicted, St. Louis CITY runs into a buzzsaw in Seattle, but Edward Lowen makes an inspiring return. All this and more World Cup shenanigans, Tom Clancy references and lots and lots of cats on this week’s edition of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The ST. Louis Sportists are brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

The Sportists are as excited as the rest of Cardinal Nation to watch Jordan Walker blossom into a star this Spring. He’s become must-watch TV just like other previous Cardinals. And the team has eight come-from-behind wins. But, ya have to be behind for those wins.

An entertaining Masters is one for the history books as Rory McIlroy goes back-to-back. CBS has a challenging ending, but nothing like the challenges coming up for the LIV tour, which may or may not still be a going concern.

How much will your college basketball team cost next season? How about $10 million to be slightly competitive. Who are the best coaches in college football right now (Hint – Google it). And what will become of football conference championship games in the playoff era?

The Blues close out a disappointing, yet hopeful season and Jimmy Snuggerud shines down the stretch. Tom and Ron politely decline to review their preseason predictions – until Keith can join for the pain. But they’re hopeful for next season. Again.

St. Louis CITY SC continues to show improvement both with the “eye test” and in the standings. All of this plus why can’t the Dodgers be easier to dislike, do umpires bait hitters to challenge pitches and how many members of the PAC-12 can you name on this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

It’s Masters week and The Sportists are ready with their preview and analysis. Where else do you find concession stand picks and a Danny Willet reference?

To the surprise of Tom’s daughter, the Cardinals are winning and are fun to watch. Jordan Walker seems reborn and the team sits at 7-5 heading into a weekend series against Boston.

Not all is rosy on the north side of Chicago where their most promising young pitcher faces a second Tommy John surgery. And the Pirates are locking up a young star?

Hail to the Victors as Michigan takes March Madness. And it’s now a Big 10 world with apologies to the SEC. But the winds of change are blowing in the NCAA. New rules are coming soon around transfers, years of eligibilities and teams in the Big Dance. And who exactly is the new coach at North Carolina?

The Blues may have finally run out of gas. Robert Thomas is playing the best hockey of his career – is he now a franchise linchpin or someone who has never had higher trade value?

CITY shows signs of life in New York, where you can coincidentally get one of the hottest new concession items of the young baseball season. And if your coach gives you a take sign on 3-0, take the pitch.

All of this and more on another action-packed episode of the St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

In this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast, the guys preview the Final Four featuring the Fighting Illini of Illinois. We’ve followed the international cast assembled by Brad Underwood all season and with Blue Horseshoe, take a look at their prospects for the weekend.

In other tournament games, Duke gets “Laettnered” and Michigan and Arizona impress. And closer to home, SLU fans have a very quick reality check when their coach is pursued by another program just days after signing an extension.

It’s a fun and interesting start for the St. Louis Cardinals with a very memorable opening day. JJ Wetherholt looks like the real deal and the bullpen seems to have “no defined roles.” On the other side of the state, nobody knows where the Royals will play in the next few years and ABS – automated ball/strike is a sensation! Unless you happen to be named C.B. Bucknor.

If it’s March, the Blues are making another improbable run. But the mountain may be too high this season. The NFL eliminates the Monday Night doubleheader and Seattle gets Hard Knocks for this season. But has the moment passed for the once can’t-miss documentary series? The league looks to quell questionable bets, but then again, what bet is not questionable?

Doug considers another difficult week for Tiger Woods and looks ahead to Masters week. CITY manages to find misfortune even in an off-week and a tasty, cold soda reaches new heights of expense at Dodger Stadium. All this and much more on this week’s episode of The St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.

It’s time to forecast the season for your 2026 St. Louis Cardinals and the Sportists use 20 questions for the preview. Compare your answers:

1. Season Record

2. Games Played for Laars Nootbaar – Over/Under 81

3. Most starts in left field

4. Victor Scott II – Over Under 43.5 Stolen Bases (Last year – 138 g, 34 SB)

5. JJ Wetherholt – Over/Under 150.5 hits and ROY?

6. Season Attendance – Over/Under 2,250,007.5 (Last year’s total, decrease of 628,108)

7. First player on major league opening day roster to Injured List

8. Kyle Leahy – Innings Pitched – Over/Under 150.5 (Last year, 88 IP - 1 start)

9. Number of Pitchers to Start at least One Game - Over/Under 14.5

10. Leader in Saves

11. Who is replaced from Opening Lineup First – Gorman, Scott, Walker, None

12. Masyn Wynn HR – 13.5 (Last year 9)

13. First Player Traded

14. Any Player(s) over 20 HR? If so, whom?

15. Joshua Baez Call-up Date

16. Jordan Walker – O/U 13.5 HR (repeat from last season)

17. Matthew Liberatore Wins – O/U 12.5 (last year – 8)

18. Starts for Liberatore, McGreevy, May – O/U 81.5 (Last year – 81 for Mikolas, Fedde and Pallante)

19. Liam Doyle Call-Up Date

20. Player on Memphis roster on March 26 who plays in most games for major league team?

21. One specific and quantifiable prediction

The Blues refuse to lose and CITY breaks through! March Madness is in full swing. It’s an action-packed episode of the St. Louis Sportists Podcast.

The St. Louis Sportists Podcast is brought to you by 1st Coast Steel Buildings and Black Dog Consulting.