The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the premiere MLB teams since the turn of the century. It seems to be a guarantee that they will be playing when the MLB schedule turns to October, and usually, it comes with a deep run.
That was true last season as St. Louis were atop the MLB standings after winning the National League Central at 93-69. So they find themselves in unfamiliar territory at 4-7 to start the 2023 season and sit behind the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates in the division.
But expect things to turn around as the Cardinals get more MLB games under their belts. They had a tough start to the season with their first nine games against projected playoff teams. It truly has not shifted the St. Louis Cardinals season odds too much, and they really are at a value given their historical success.
Last Season
The Cardinals were one of nine teams last season to allow 3.93 runs per game or less. Their starting rotation had 38% of starts as quality starts, which was just above league average, and they had 57 no decisions, which was below league average.
St. Louis was sixth in scoring 4.77 runs per game. An OPS of .745 was fifth, and the Cardinals were tied for ninth with 197 home runs.
It was an emotional season as Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols were on their farewell tours. Pujols, who was 42 years old, hit 24 home runs which was the most in a single season since 2016, MLB player stats showed. That power resurgence led to some thinking he would return. Alas, he and Molina retired.
One of the great things about “The Cardinal Way” is that the team can withstand a lengthy MLB injury report because they have such a talented system. That remains true moving forward, and the retirees only open up roster spots.
Season Odds
The St. Louis Cardinals season odds have flipped from the preseason. They are +125 to win the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who are at -115. The Brewers had the lead for most of last season before a catastrophic collapse after the trade deadline.
They also took two of three from the Cardinals during the first two weeks of the 2023 season.
But the St. Louis Cardinals season odds still show their potential. They are tied for fifth with the Philadelphia Phillies at +1000 to win the National League pennant. Those two teams are tied for ninth with the Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, and Seattle Mariners at +2200 to win the World Series.
Obviously, the best path forward for the Cardinals or their divisional rival Brewers is to win the NL Central with a bottleneck of teams looking at the wild card. But the Cardinals are still at -200 to make the playoffs and +160 to miss out.
Roster Restoration
The St. Louis Cardinals standings do not best reflect their talent. Their lineup is largely unchanged, except they actually upgraded by adding catcher Willson Contreras in free agency and then calling up top prospect Jordan Walker to play right field.
Expect the St. Louis Cardinals record to improve when Lars Nootbar and Adam Wainwright return off the injured list to boost the outfield depth and rotation, respectively. If there is a place to upgrade, it would be looking for a higher-end arm to compete with the Brewers and in the postseason.
Right now, the Cardinals are counting on a bounce back from Jack Flaherty, who has battled injuries the past two seasons, and then more finesse pitchers in Miles Mikolas, Wainwright, and Jordan Montgomery. Adding the best starting pitcher to give them a go-to power arm would make some feel better about their MLB picks.
Schedule Quirks
The Cardinals get their seven games against the Los Angeles Dodgers out of the way early. Then there is a soft spot from late May through Aug. 23 where the Cardinals can either make up the ground they’ve lost or improve their lead.
Despite some formidable threats through that stretch, fans will know plenty about the Cardinals and their playoff chances at that point.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.