Cardinals Drop A Spot In Latest MLB Power Rankings

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten off to another rocky start. After a series win over the Houston Astros put them at .500, they have lost five games in a row and fallen to 9-14 on the year.

They also sit in fourth place in the National League Central, 4 1/2 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs. The days in which they were a clear contender are seemingly long gone, and a rebuild is necessary to get them back to where they once were.

Recently, The Athletic ranked all 30 Major League teams after another week. The Cardinals have fallen to 24th on the list, dropping a spot from a week ago.

"The last time the Cardinals had two consecutive full seasons under .500 was 1958 and 1959. That statement is carefully worded to exclude the strike-shortened season of 1994, but it’s still bonkers," Grant Brisbee wrote.

"The last time the Cardinals allowed more runs than they scored in a full season — a Pythagorean record under .500 — was in 2023 and 2024. While they’ve been a little Pythag-unlucky this year, that’s still a sign that the days of reliable contending might be over for good this time."

The Cardinals went 71-91 in 2023, finishing in last place in the NL Central. They won 83 games last year, but their run differential suggested that they should have finished 76-86.

Clearly, things aren't looking up in St. Louis, as they are at risk of recording their second losing season in three years. They may end up being sellers at the trade deadline this year.