College of Idaho Professional Athletes

Riley O'Brien, College of Idaho's Man on the Hot Seat

For College of Idaho alum Riley O'Brien, the final weeks of the 2026 MLB season have become a referendum on whether he belongs in the Cardinals' ninth inning — or anywhere near it.

The righthander has been St. Louis's closer by title, if not always by performance. Across three appearances this week (Sept. 14–19), O'Brien posted a 4.14 ERA, a number that tells only part of the story. He struck out two in a clean inning against San Francisco on Monday, giving a glimpse of the pitcher the Cardinals believed they were getting. But Wednesday against the Giants, he surrendered an earned run in a 5-6 loss — a blow that only deepened the scrutiny around a bullpen already coming apart at the seams. Saturday's outing against Washington (two strikeouts, no runs allowed in a 5-8 loss) was cleaner, though the team's deficit made the stakes largely academic.

The broader narrative has been harder to manage than any individual outing. According to Sports Illustrated, the Cardinals have reached what's being described internally as a "breaking point" with O'Brien, as St. Louis's late-inning woes have compounded down the stretch. The bullpen's collective failures have made O'Brien a lightning rod — the most visible symbol of a closing situation that has repeatedly cost the Cardinals games when they could least afford it.

And yet, manager Oli Marmol hasn't pulled the plug. Despite mounting pressure from fans and questions about whether the College of Idaho product can hold the role into the postseason picture, Marmol has publicly stood by O'Brien — a vote of confidence that feels increasingly load-bearing the longer the struggles continue. Sports Illustrated has also made the case that it may be premature to abandon O'Brien entirely, pointing to stretches of his season that suggest the underlying stuff is still there.

The tension is real: O'Brien's ERA sits above 4.00 in the season's most critical stretch, a figure that would make most closers uncomfortable. But flashes of dominance — multiple two-strikeout innings this week alone — keep the flame of belief alive. For a Cardinals organization that has invested in O'Brien's development, the calculus isn't purely statistical. It's also about whether there's time left to course-correct.

For College of Idaho fans, the situation is equal parts pride and anxiety. O'Brien remains one of the program's most prominent MLB representatives, a small-school product competing on the sport's biggest stage. How he finishes the next two weeks will go a long way toward defining not just his 2026 season, but his future in St. Louis — and perhaps his future as a closer at all.

The Cardinals don't have many opportunities left. Neither does O'Brien.

Riley O'Brien, College of Idaho's Man in the Cardinals' Bullpen, Faces the Heat

Riley O'Brien's week in St. Louis read like a pressure test — a rough outing, public debate about his future as closer, and then a bounce-back performance that gave the Cardinals reason to stick with their guy.

The College of Idaho product entered the week with his role in the spotlight. On Thursday, Sept. 3, O'Brien worked a solid inning against the Dodgers, striking out one and posting a 3.88 ERA as St. Louis fell 4–5. Then came Friday's stumble: he recorded just one out against Los Angeles while surrendering two earned runs, his ERA jumping to 4.18 in a 2–1 Cardinals loss. That outing was enough to ignite a full-blown debate around the team.

Sports Illustrated surfaced the question directly — should the Cardinals pull the plug on O'Brien as their closer? The pros and cons were real. A 4.18 ERA in a high-leverage role isn't a number a team can ignore deep in the season, and the Dodgers exposed him in a tight game the Cardinals needed. The case for a change wasn't abstract.

But St. Louis didn't blink. The organization publicly backed O'Brien despite the loss, a show of confidence that carried weight heading into Saturday's trip to Coors Field.

He rewarded them. Against the Rockies on Sept. 5, O'Brien tossed a clean inning, struck out two, and helped the Cardinals secure a 7–6 win. His ERA ticked back down to 4.11 — not dominant closer territory, but a signal that the previous night's meltdown wasn't a trend.

The broader narrative here is one O'Brien is navigating carefully: he's a former NAIA standout from Caldwell, Idaho — not exactly the pipeline that produces MLB closers — holding one of the most scrutinized roles in a bullpen. The Cardinals' public vote of confidence matters, but it comes with an unspoken condition. Results have to follow.

For College of Idaho fans, O'Brien's arc this season has been something worth watching. Getting to the majors from the NAIA level is rare. Holding a closer's job on a major league roster — even amid controversy — is rarer still. The debate around his role is, in its own way, a testament to how far he's come.

The Cardinals have little margin for error as the calendar flips toward the final stretch of the season. O'Brien's Saturday performance bought him time. Whether it bought him the job long-term is a question St. Louis will keep answering one outing at a time.