The 2024 MLB season seemingly can’t get much worse for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The vaunted franchise, known as one of the greatest in history, has fallen on hard times since making it to the postseason in 2022. After a 71-91 finish last year, the team is back at the bottom of the NL Central once again this season. And not only are they playing bad baseball, but they’ve also been hard to watch.
For a fanbase that is used to excellence, this team has shown no signs of achieving anything right now. After an embarrassing homestand that saw them go 1-4 against the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets, the team sat at 15-21 after 36 games. So essentially, they’re on a worse trajectory now – even after an offseason where they shored up their pitching staff through free agency.
Because of their stale play and poor record, even Cardinal Nation has begun to sour on the season. Often referred to as the ‘Best Fans in Baseball,’ the St. Louis faithful pack Busch Stadium with three million fans per season. And that’s win or lose, rain or shine.
But, with this team flopping like a bad movie, it’s left many in their seats, just waiting for it to end.
Two Years Removed From Glory
This club seems far removed from that magical 2022 squad, which saw the retirements of legends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Along the way, one of the greatest hitters of all time thrilled them with a chase for 700 home runs, and the Redbirds made a dazzling run down the stretch.
While fans may have been disappointed that the magical team fell short of making a World Series, they would gladly hop in the DeLorean and go back in time if they could. Since then, the Cards have gone a combined 86-112, and the idea of staying alive for a playoff spot past August is a pipe dream.
What next for the Cardinals following series loss to White Sox? @KevinWheeler94 @Ackerman1120, and @MattPauleyOnAir assembled together to discuss the season so far for the Cardinals.https://t.co/0YT0LXhjK6
— KMOX St. Louis News (@kmoxnews) May 6, 2024
The fans might tolerate the win-loss record if it weren’t for how hard it is to sit through nine innings of play. For the first time in years? The Cardinals are a boring team. They’re just not a fun team to watch, and that’s totally out of character. Particularly for some of the players starring in this story.
2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt has struggled mightily, as has much of the offense behind him. And aside from Sonny Gray, the starting staff has been hit-or-miss. On top of that? This squad has essentially become a M*A*S*H* unit, racking up injuries at an alarming rate. Just this week, both starting pitcher Steven Matz and catcher Willson Contreras were added to the injured list.
What Changes Will the Cardinals Make?
As far as being a contender this season? It seems pretty unrealistic. It would take a Hollywood-style turnaround for this team to make the playoffs – at least based on what we’ve seen so far. And while it’s still early, the Cardinals have displayed nothing thus far that says things will get better right away.
Like rewinding a bad movie over and over again, management seems to follow the same patterns year after year: Build a nucleus, add some inexpensive veterans, and hope to make the postseason.
And that formula has worked for the better part of 20 years. But now, it seems the powder is no longer dry.
9 potential Cardinals managers if Oliver Marmol is fired this season ✍️ @thomasgauvain https://t.co/PQBnU76N5m
— Cardinals Nation 247 (@CardsNation247) May 5, 2024
While it may not be fair to roll the credits on this 2024 Cardinals team, it’s time to fast-forward to the future. Whether that scene involves manager Oliver Marmol is open for speculation. Meanwhile, some Cardinal fans have been calling for team president John Mozeliak to step aside from personnel duties for a while now.
It’s only fair for St. Louis’ supporters if they have been taken aback by this anticlimactic start to the season. This was once the home of the Gas House Gang, Stan the Man, and Whiteyball.
However, those images from yesteryear just seem to be flickering now, like a favorite old film… while this year’s season has gone direct to video.
For More Great Content
Ryan K Boman is the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter: A Collection of Essays about Embracing Life with Laughter & Love. His previous work has appeared at The Miami Herald, SB Nation, Bounding into Sports, and Yardbarker. Follow him on social media @RyanKBoman.
Enjoy more articles from Ryan and others daily! Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports.
