Cardinals Seen As ‘A Lot Better’ Than Last Season’s Team Despite Slow Start

St. Louis has a better chance of success than last year's club

Apr 9, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals produced the franchise's worst record in 33 years last season after finishing 71-91 and sitting comfortably in last place in the National League Central.

The biggest issue for the Cardinals in 2023 was the rotation -- which ranked No. 26 in the league with a 5.08 ERA and was largely to blame for the club's inability to generate wins.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak went out on a mission this past offseason to retool the rotation and it appears the new weapons are making an impact.

"The Cardinals, despite being in last place, have the feel of a team that’s a lot better than last year’s last-place team," MLB.com's Will Leitch wrote Monday when discussing the unpredictable state of the NL Central this season.

The newest additions to the rotation -- Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson -- have exceeded expectations and are showcasing that they can be relied on as top starters.

The bullpen is also contributing to St. Louis flying under the radar as a dark horse to take the NL Central -- some believing that the club has one of the best in the league. Cardinals relievers have accumulated a 3.49 ERA -- ranking No. 8 in MLB.

The improved pitching staff can only take the Cardinals so far as the lineup has scored only 100 runs -- the third fewest by any offense this season.

Luckily, there is plenty of offensive talent on St. Louis' roster to turn things around. With that in mind and the fact pitching is no longer an issue, it makes sense to say that this season's Cardinals team feels much better than last year's lackluster club.

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