If ever there was a snapshot of the frustrations that the Cardinals often feel while hitting at spacious Busch Stadium, it came last Sunday when lefty slugger Nolan Gorman trudged back to the dugout shaking his head and wondering what more he had to do to get a home run.
Gorman drilled a center-cut splitter from Kirby Yates and the ball screamed off his bat at 102.7 mph and with a 39-degree launch angle. Even though it was high, the drive would have been a homer at 21 of 30 MLB ballparks, per Baseball Savant. However, at Busch Stadium, it was merely a 360-foot out and more exasperation for Gorman.
That scene has played out dozens of times for a Cardinals club that has been far more explosive offensively on the road than it has been at home this season. Following Tuesday’s 13-run outburst – the most runs St. Louis has ever scored in the 64-year history of Dodger Stadium – the gap between the Cardinals’ road production and their home struggles only widened.
The Cards went into Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers averaging 5.2 runs per game on the road, good for third in MLB. Remarkably, the Cards have scored 75 more runs on the road than at home – in five fewer chances. Their 3.8 runs a game at home rank them 29th in MLB. And it doesn’t stop there as the Cards have hit 85 homers on the road (12th in MLB) and just 63 at home (tied for 27th).
Jordan Walker LASER BEAM pic.twitter.com/AN99Wi6JDa
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 2, 2026
That production has also manifested in the standings. The Cards went into Wednesday’s game with a record three games over .500 on the road (35-32), but four games under .500 at home (34-38).
Before fans start howling once again about the need to move in the fences at Busch Stadium, there’s also this to consider: Cardinals’ pitchers have surrendered 83 homers on the road, but just 55 in Busch Stadium’s hot, muggy air. Those 55 home homers allowed are tied with the Marlins for the fewest in MLB this season.
Blossoming Cardinals’ starter Kyle Leahy has allowed just three homers at Busch Stadium, but 10 on the road. Then, there’s 12-game winner Andre Pallante, who is just 5-6 with a 4.02 ERA in Busch Stadium, but 7-0 and in possession of a 2.93 ERA on the road this season. Matthew Liberatore has struggled both home (3-6, 5.87 ERA, 15 homers) and road (2-7, 4.93 ERA, 10 homers), while Michael McGreevy has had a better road ERA (3.89) than at home (4.06).
There is little confusion about where the Cardinals’ top hitters prefer swinging the lumber in 2026. All-Star and Homer Run Derby champion Jordan Walker not only has an MLB-most 68 RBI on the road this season, but he’s clubbed eight more homers and four more doubles and has hit 13 points higher on the road.
Alec Burleson’s batting average is a whopping 50 points higher on the road (.310) than it is at home, and he’s hit twice as many homers (14-7) away from Busch.
Standout rookie JJ Wetherholt got off to about as good of a start to his MLB career as possible when he homered in his first game and had a walk-off, game-winning single in his second game – both at Busch Stadium. He also had his first multi-homer game on April 14 and the first five homers of his MLB career at his new home ballpark. However, he went more than two months – May 19 to July 30 – between Busch Stadium homers and his home OPS of .622 is MLB’s lowest among players with at least 250 at bats in a venue.
Oh my god JJ Wetherholt homered for his first hit in his MLB debut how did I miss this?! Been locked in ALL DAY…
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) March 26, 2026
So I thought. Need to be better.
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Whereas Wetherholt’s top competition for the National League Rookie of the Year award, Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart, has feasted at Great American Ball Park, the Cardinals infielder has struggled when compared to his road production. Wetherholt has hit 39 points higher on the road than at home, and he’s been far more productive in terms of doubles (11-3), homers (11-7) and RBI (31-17) away from Busch Stadium.
While the numbers have been lopsided with Walker, Burleson and Wetherholt, the production for Ivan Herrera and Masyn Winn have been much more balanced. Herrera’s hit nine points higher on the road, but he’s clubbed two more homers at home. Winn has four of his five homers on the road, but his batting average is 23 points higher in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.