Cardinals Boast Identical Record To Last Season Despite Offseason Trades

The St. Louis Cardinals surprisingly find themselves in the same spot as this time last season despite the team undergoing major changes.

The Cardinals have the same 50-45 record through 95 games last season as they do this season, but ended up missing the playoffs last year after closing out the year with a 78-84 record. St. Louis' roster last season boasted plenty of star power with players like Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras.

After missing the playoffs, the Cardinals sold their stars off during the offseason to begin a full-scale rebuild that was expected to limit their potential this year. Despite being projected to finish at the bottom of the National League Central division, St. Louis has stunned the league this season and is sitting just one game out of the playoffs.

While the Cardinals retained key pieces of their roster from last season who have had a big impact, including Iván Herrera, multiple young players have taken massive leaps in their development. Jordan Walker was named an All-Star for the first time along with Herrera and Riley O'Brien. JJ Wetherholt has also emerged as the team's second baseman of the future, signing a nine-figure extension that makes him the highest-paid player on the team.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes this season's team has a higher ceiling

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) smiles in the dugout before the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The Cardinals led 7-4 in the sixth inning. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Though the Cardinals faced extremely low expectations heading into this season, they have performed well and are in the same spot as they were last year, despite losing multiple star players. St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol even believes this Cardinals team has a higher ceiling than it did last season.

“It is a different group,” Marmol said, per MLB.com's Brenden Schaeffer. “The way I look at it is, the ceiling is higher when it comes to what’s possible for this group.

“So, although the record’s the same, you’re just getting started as to what’s possible for them. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, a lot of work to be done. The best part about all of it is that they’re bought into it and they’re hungry for that.”

The Cardinals brought in new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom this offseason, and it seems that the team is already showing clear signs of heading in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how Bloom tackles his first trade deadline in St. Louis, especially with how well the team has been performing lately.

More MLB: Cardinals Report Card: Grades for All 19 Position Players at All-Star Break

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