Cardinals Predicted To Miss Postseason After Recent Tough Stretch

Things are looking bleak for the Cardinals.

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win on Sunday over the playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers. They are 73-77 as they head back to Busch Stadium for their final homestand of the season. Somehow, they sit just four games back of the New York Mets for the third National League Wild Card spot, so there is some hope, but not much.

The Cardinals are going to rebuild this offseason and take a step back from contention as Chaim Bloom takes over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations. Some players may ultimately be traded away as part of the rebuild, including some fan favorites.

But hopes of making the postseason are remote for St. Louis. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicts that St. Louis will once again fall short, marking the third straight October without postseason baseball for the Cardinals.

Cardinals Predicted To Miss Postseason After Five-Game Losing Streak

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"The Royals (5-8 in September) and Cardinals (5-7 in September) needed a major final month surge to claw their way back into the wild-card picture, but that has not happened, and their playoff odds have withered to virtually zero percent with two weeks to play," Reuter wrote.

It's going to take a miracle for St. Louis to reach the postseason for the first time since 2022. The only reason they still have a semblance of hope is that the Mets recently had an eight-game losing streak and watched their playoff hopes take a hit during that stretch.

The Cardinals are seventh in the Wild Card race and have the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks also in front of them as the postseason picture becomes clearer.

The Cardinals originally planned to rebuild in 2025, but ultimately decided to try and contend one last time in Mozeliak's tenure as head of baseball operations. That ultimately did not pan out for St. Louis, and now the focus will be on the future. They were sellers at the trade deadline, giving up relievers Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton.

The immediate future looks a little bleak for the Cardinals. Even if they do somehow reach the postseason, they would have to go up against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card Series, and the Dodgers would be heavily favored.

We'll see what the final two weeks hold for St. Louis.

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