Cardinals Last-Second Unafraid Prediction Before Opening Day

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to begin the 2025 Major League Baseball action on Thursday afternoon when they welcome the Minnesota Twins to Busch Stadium.

Sonny Gray will get the ball to kick off the season and as we sit here on the night before Opening Day, there isn't too much buzz about this Cardinals team. While this is the case, in my opinion, this should change.

St. Louis won 83 games last year and there's a real argument that this club could be better now than it was last year. The Cardinals may not be the top World Series contender in the National league or something like that, but they can surprise people. The Cardinals have been spoken about as if they are going to be a last-place team, but that shouldn't be the case.

Here is a last-second prediction for St. Louis before Opening Day:

Final Record: 86-76
Regular Season Finish: Second Place in the National League Central
Playoffs? Cardinals to land the National League's third Wild Card spot, but get knocked out in the Wild Card Round.

Why is this the case? The Cardinals have a surplus of capable pitchers right now. This hasn't been the case in recent years, but the rotation could be solid and there's more talent coming up from the minors. The offense should be on par with last year or better as well. Most of the roster is intact but Willson Contreras is an offensive upgrade at first base. The thing that could throw a wrench in this prediction is the trade deadline. If the Cardinals blow it up, then this won't come to fruition.