ST. LOUIS – A new report from Baseball America, based on anonymous MLB scout surveys, suggests that the St. Louis Cardinals are falling behind many of the league’s top teams in scouting and identifying talent.

The findings come at a time when the Cardinals are coming off back-to-back years without postseason appearances, have only won one postseason series over the last decade, and have seen multiple players depart in recent years only to have standout seasons with other teams.

In the special report, titled “Baseball America’s 2025 Scout Survey” and published on Jan. 6, Baseball America drew upon survey responses from 27 anonymous MLB scouts about scouting environments and teams’ abilities to identify talent.

Among the key findings for the St. Louis Cardinals, posed as questions in the report…

1) Which organizations are the most scout-friendly?

The Cardinals only earned one vote in this survey question. They were one of 12 teams that did not get multiple votes, suggesting they are not perceived as a top team for scouts.

2) Which organizations are the least scout-friendly?

Again, the Cardinals only earned one vote in this survey question. Perhaps it suggests they might be in the middle of the pack in being “scout-friendly” when considered with the previous survey question.

3) Which organizations are the best at identifying talent?

The Cardinals earned three votes in this survey question. Of 12 teams ranked ahead or equal to the Cardinals, 10 made the postseason last year.

4) Which organizations are the worst at identifying talent?

The Cardinals earned one vote in this survey question. It reinforces the notion that they are perceived to be in the middle of the pack for “identifying talent” when considered with the previous survey question.

For what it’s worth, the Cardinals appear to be taking steps to address some of the underlying issues highlighted in Baseball America’s report.

Near the start of the offseason, the Cardinals publicly acknowledged their vision for a youth-driven reset, an approach aimed at cutting costs while placing a greater emphasis on player development and letting younger big-league players seize larger opportunities.

The Cardinals are preparing for Chaim Bloom to take over as the franchise’s President of Baseball Operations after the 2025 season, a transition in which lead executive John Mozeliak would step down after nearly three decades with St. Louis.

Bloom’s background is closely associated with modern baseball analytics, international scouting, minor league development, and cost-effective team-building strategies. He was tasked with reinventing the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox after various organizational setbacks earlier in the 21st century.

The Cardinals have also shaken up their staff this offseason, bringing in Robert Cerfolio from the Cleveland Guardians to serve as an assistant general manager and naming Larry Day as the franchise’s new director of player development.

Could these recent changes help the Cardinals rise above their recent setbacks? That remains to be seen. Early projections for 2025 suggest the team will likely hover around .500 again with one model predicting another 83-win season that would mirror last year’s finish.