The Cardinals Are Frauds

Aside from the division-leading Dodgers, Phillies, and Brewers, most of the National League has been entrenched in mediocrity. Outside of the Rockies, Nationals, Reds, and Cubs, almost every team contending for a wild card spot has a similar record. This can be attributed to the owners of those teams not spending enough to win. One of those teams that really shouldn’t be competing for a playoff spot is the St. Louis Cardinals. Judging by their statistics as a team, they are the biggest fraud in the National League.

The Cardinals Are Just a Product of Luck

The only reason St. Louis is in the hunt is because the rest of the National League is mediocre like them. This team trails the Milwaukee Brewers by a wide margin in the division race. Judging by their expected win and loss total, they should be near the bottom of the NL Central. They’ve also been outscored this season by over 43 runs. The most glaring issue is that the Cardinals have struggled against teams with a .500 or better record. St. Louis’s saving grace has been they’ve had a lot of success in one-run games and the Cubs and Reds have been underperforming. The Cardinals’ success this season has been mostly a product of luck.

St. Louis Pitching Hasn’t Been Much Better Than 2023

The pitching staff was a big disaster in 2023. Last offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals made improving it a top priority. They went out and signed starters Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn. St. Louis also traded for reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Tampa Bay Rays. At this past trade deadline, they were able to acquire Erick Fedde from the Chicago White Sox. However, despite all the moves made, Cardinal pitching hasn’t been much better than last year. As a staff, they currently have an ERA of 4.10. The only teams with higher earned run averages are the Rockies, Reds, and Nationals. Their pitching staff has also registered a WHIP of 1.46 and only the Nationals and Rockies are higher. Opponents have had no problem hitting the ball off St. Louis pitchers as they are hitting .276 against them.

The Cardinals Offense Is Among the National League’s Worst

The Cardinals’ offense has been one of the worst in the National League this season. As a team, St. Louis is only averaging 4.18 runs per game. The only team in the NL averaging fewer runs are the hapless Miami Marlins. Despite having power hitters like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, and Willson Contreras; St. Louis has only hit a total of 121 homers. The only teams hitting fewer homers are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals. Speaking of Arenado and Goldschmidt, both have shown they are exiting their primes. The two former All-Stars are having career-worst seasons in many major offensive categories.

This Team Is a Fraud

Don’t let the record fool you! The St. Louis Cardinals are the most fraudulent team currently in the postseason hunt. The only teams they are outpacing statistically are below .500 teams. Their cornerstone players Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are shells of themselves. Out of all the playoff contenders this season, the Cardinals are the worst compared to them. St. Louis is only in the playoff picture due to the mediocrity of the rest of the National League, underperformance by the Cubs and Reds, and a lot of luck. At some point, the Cardinals should think very hard about rebuilding. While this team may be currently playing important baseball, don’t be surprised if they are sitting at home again this October.

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