3 reasons the St. Louis Cardinals are still contenders despite awful start

By Nick Halden | May 17, 2023

Apr 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) high-loves teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – MAY 03: Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on May 03, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

1. The rest of the division will regress

The Brewers clearly aren’t a World Series contender but with a solid top of the rotation and good power in the lineup, they will be players for a division title and a slot in the postseason. The Brewers are the only team in this division St. Louis should be sure it will be tough to run down.

The Reds, Cubs, and Pirates are all already suffering some regression after early solid starts. The Pirates and Reds are clearly not serious postseason contenders and should fall back toward the Cardinals as the summer nears.

Chicago is an interesting team in that they have solid veteran pieces and young prospects who started out the season playing at a high level. The team is clearly fading, however, and shouldn’t be a threat to a St. Louis team that is far better than the first two months have shown.

At best, the Pirates or Cubs are on the fringe of Wild Card contention while the Cardinals have a team that is more than capable of digging their way out of this early hole and competing for a division title. The road will get easier for St. Louis as the division balances out and at best there will be two teams that are close to competitive late into the summer.

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