Why Cardinals Look More and More Like a Playoff Team

The St. Louis Cardinals have been awesome so far this season, to say the least.

Jun 7, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a one run double against the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan hoping that this young club could make it back to the postseason in 2026, there are a lot of positive signs.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals won their 40th game of the season already. The Cardinals are 40-31 on the season after 71 games. In comparison, the Cardinals didn't win their 40th game of the season in 2025 until game No. 75. In 2024, the Cardinals earned their 40th win in game No. 77. In 2023, the Cardinals didn't win their 40th game until game No. 93.

On Tuesday, Brandon Kiley of "BK & Ferrario" on 101 ESPN St. Louis shared on X that the 2026 Cardinals are just the seventh team in franchise history over the last 20 years to win 40 of their first 71 games.

The Cardinals Are On A Heater

Jun 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) runs the bases on his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

"Cardinals teams in the past 20 years to win at least 40 of their first 71 games: 2006 (42), 2008 (42), 2010 (40), 2013 (45), 2015 (47), 2022 (40), and 2026 (40)," Kiley wrote.

In 2022, the Cardinals went on to win 93 games. In 2015, the Cardinals won 100 games. In 2013, the Cardinals won 97 games. In 2010, the Cardinals won 86 games. In 2008, the Cardinals won 86 games. In 2006, the Cardinals won 83 games and the World Series.

Right now, the Cardinals look like a team that has a legit shot at making it back to the playoffs, to the surprise of the vast majority of people around the league. If the Cardinals could find a way to add another hurler without breaking the bank, that would help to take the team to another level.

It's hard to believe that the Cardinals are going to do anything crazy before the trade deadline, but stats like this show how good St. Louis has been this season. The thing that is most exciting is the fact that this is supposed to be the first year of a reset period under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Imagine what the team is going to look like in 2027 or 2028 if they keep trending up in this way? We're seeing the beginning stages of St. Louis turning the franchise around after three straight difficult seasons.

The Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in baseball. So, the game is better when the Cardinals are good. It's an exciting time for the franchise, to say the least.