The St. Louis Cardinals had a productive week. They went 4-2, finishing their homestand with a 6-3 record. The week started rough with two losses to the Texas Rangers, but it ended on a high note, with a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. As always, it is time to look at the Cardinals’ standouts of the last week.
Cardinals’ Standouts of the Week
Standout #3- Oliver Marmol
We are giving the skipper a nod on this week’s Cardinals’ standouts list. Oliver Marmol is in his sixth season as the Cardinals’ manager, but there have been more downs than ups. This season has been different, however. The team is exceeding expectations, with young players like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker leading the way.
Marmol is the front-runner for the National League’s “Manager of the Year” award, but he has already received an honor. Marmol announced on Sunday that Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts has invited him to join his coaching staff for the All-Star Game next month in Philadelphia. Marmol expressed his excitement to reporters:
“As a kid, you grow up watching the Home Run Derby, and you watch the All-Star Game, just all the festivities and everything that goes into it. All the best players in the world, all in one place at the same time, man. So it’s cool to be invited and be able to represent the organization and our families in that type of environment. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
The team’s success this season, combined with the honor of representing the team at the All-Star Game, makes Marmol a clear candidate for this week’s Cardinals’ standouts installment.
Standout #2- Riley O’Brien
Riley O’Brien made three appearances this past week. His first came on Tuesday against the Rangers. O’Brien entered the game in the ninth inning with the score tied, 4-4. Unfortunately, O’Brien struggled, giving up three runs and earning the loss. His rough outing was just another layer on a frustrating game for the Cardinals. Thankfully, O’Brien bounced back the next night, pitching around a leadoff double to earn the save.
O’Brien earned two saves over the weekend, with Saturday being the most intense. O’Brien gave up two hits and a walk, but managed to retire Sal Stewart to preserve the win. He did need some help from the ABS system to avoid a bases-loaded walk, but he did record the save. Sunday was a much cleaner save for the right-hander, giving up just a hit in the 5-3 victory.
O’Brien has been great out of the bullpen this season, but he definitely had a lot of traffic this week. For the sanity of Cardinals’ fans everywhere, O’Brien needs to record these saves without the traffic. More importantly, with the Cardinals seemingly preparing to sell at this season’s trade deadline, O’Brien can be another piece the Cardinals can move. If he can continue to record saves but create less traffic, he can earn the Cardinals a decent return in a trade.
Standout #1- Lars Nootbaar
Lars Nootbaar made his long-awaited 2026 debut on Friday, hitting a double in his first at-bat. He finished the game 2-6, picking up an RBI in the team’s 10-3 win. His biggest moment of the weekend came on Saturday, however. Coming off the bench in the bottom of the eighth inning, Nootbaar hit a go-ahead two-run home run to give the Cardinals the lead. Nootbaar did not record a hit on Sunday, but he did record two walks.
We are pleased to inform you that LARS NOOTBAAR IS BACK! pic.twitter.com/Jqz7RBV1uZ
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 6, 2026
Nootbaar’s return has the potential to improve the Cardinals’ lineup, and we saw examples of that this weekend. His home run proved that he can certainly be a Cardinals’ standout, even if he comes off the bench. As the Cardinals head on their road trip this week, it will be interesting to see how they use him in the batting order. He hit leadoff on Friday, but that was partially due to Wetherholt sitting out a few days to nurse a minor groin pain. He batted fifth on Sunday, and that is where we should expect to see him moving forward. He is not a power hitter by any means, but he can provide some stability in the lineup, especially if he can offer some protection to Walker.
Furthermore, if the Cardinals are selling, Nootbaar could be someone the team moves as well. Like O’Brien, the more Nootbaar produces over the next two months, the stronger the return.
The Week Ahead
The Cardinals hit the road for six games this week. They will head to the “Big Apple” to battle the New York Mets before heading to “The North Star State” to battle the Minnesota Twins. Be sure to check with Last Word On Baseball throughout the week for Cardinals’ coverage, and check in next Sunday to see the latest list of Cardinals’ standouts.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
