The St. Louis Cardinals have quietly put themselves back into the National League postseason conversation, despite a difficult start to the second half and the decision to sell at the MLB Trade Deadline.
With 41 games remaining, St. Louis entered Thursday just 2½ games behind the third and final NL Wild Card position. The Cardinals still have several teams to overtake, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins, but their recent run has made a postseason berth look far more realistic than it did only a few weeks ago.
St. Louis has won three consecutive series since the Trade Deadline, providing a significant boost to a team that had appeared to be drifting out of contention. If the Cardinals want to complete the climb and reach October for the first time since 2022, three areas will be especially important.
1. The Cardinals’ core four must continue producing
Much of St. Louis’ offensive success has been closely connected to four young and impactful hitters: JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker.
When that group produces consistently, the Cardinals have shown they can compete with virtually any opponent. The quartet has recently started to rediscover the form it displayed earlier in the season, which has coincided with St. Louis winning more games.
Wetherholt and Walker have not produced much power over the past couple of weeks, but both have continued finding ways to reach base and contribute. Walker, in particular, has remained productive by using singles and doubles to drive in runs rather than relying solely on home runs.
Herrera and Burleson have supplied more of the extra-base damage. The two hitters have combined for 17 extra-base hits over their last 14 games, giving the Cardinals’ lineup much-needed power and run-producing ability.
That balance could prove crucial. St. Louis does not necessarily need every member of the quartet to hit home runs every night, but it needs them to consistently reach base, generate extra-base hits and create scoring opportunities.
The Cardinals struggled to get that kind of production during parts of June and much of July. Their recent resurgence has helped fuel the club’s improved results, making continued production from the top four one of the biggest keys to the postseason chase.
2. The bullpen must maintain its recent improvement
The Cardinals’ bullpen has been one of the team’s biggest sources of frustration this season, but the relief corps has recently shown encouraging signs.
Since the Trade Deadline, St. Louis relievers have posted a 3.81 ERA, a significant improvement from the bullpen’s 4.32 ERA for the season.
That improvement is particularly important because the Cardinals’ starting rotation has generally been reliable. St. Louis ranks among the better teams in baseball in starter ERA and has received plenty of innings from its rotation, meaning the bullpen often enters games with the Cardinals already in position to win.
When relievers fail to protect those leads, the damage is magnified.
One of the most encouraging developments has been the turnaround of closer Riley O’Brien. Since June 22, O’Brien has posted a remarkable 1.10 ERA across 16⅓ innings, giving the Cardinals much more stability in the ninth inning after a difficult stretch filled with blown saves and close calls.
O’Brien’s resurgence, combined with dependable contributions from Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek and George Soriano, has given manager Oliver Marmol more confidence when turning to his bullpen.
If that group can maintain its recent form, the Cardinals could become considerably more difficult to beat down the stretch.
3. St. Louis has to dominate the NL Central
The Cardinals have another major advantage in their schedule: a significant portion of their remaining games will come against familiar NL Central opponents.
Seventeen of St. Louis’ final 41 games are scheduled against division rivals, creating plenty of opportunities to gain ground directly against teams that could affect their postseason chances.
Fourteen of those games will come against the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals have already gone 15-10 against those three teams this season, demonstrating that they are capable of winning those matchups.
Milwaukee has been a different story. St. Louis is just 2-8 against the Brewers this season, although the Cardinals still have one series remaining against them.
The immediate challenge comes this weekend at Wrigley Field, where the Cardinals will face the Cubs in a three-game series.
The matchup could be particularly important because Chicago is playing some of its best baseball of the season. The Cubs have gone 17-8 since the All-Star break and have established themselves as a serious postseason contender.
While Chicago appears to be in a much stronger position to reach October, St. Louis can use the series to close the gap in its own Wild Card pursuit. Every victory against the Cubs would not only improve the Cardinals’ record but also prevent Chicago from adding to its own momentum.
The Cardinals still have a path
St. Louis’ road to the postseason is far from guaranteed, particularly with three teams currently ahead of them in the Wild Card race. However, the Cardinals have put themselves in a position where a strong finish could change the outlook dramatically.
The formula is relatively straightforward: keep the top of the lineup productive, trust a bullpen that has recently become more reliable and take advantage of the remaining NL Central schedule.
The Cardinals may not have entered August looking like a playoff team, but their recent surge has given them another opportunity. If their key players continue performing and the pitching holds up, St. Louis could turn the final six weeks of the season into a legitimate postseason chase.
For a franchise looking for its first playoff appearance since 2022, the next 41 games could determine whether this unexpected late-season push becomes a memorable comeback or another season that falls short.
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