Cardinals Playoff Odds Rapidly Declining As Club Desperately Searches For Revival

St. Louis is in some serious trouble

Aug 18, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) is congratulated after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals would do anything to return to a time in which they were sitting comfortably in a National League Wild Card spot and were still in contention for the NL Central.

Sadly, the Cardinals have fallen off a cliff since then. They trail the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central by 11 games and are five games behind the Atlanta Braves for the last NL Wild Card spot.

Looking at this Cardinals team now, it's difficult to believe that it was only a little over a month ago when St. Louis had a greater chance of making the postseason than it did at missing it.

According to Fangraphs, the Cardinals' playoff odds dropped from 55.6% on July 8, when St. Louis had a 48-42 record, to 4.2% on Aug. 19, when the team was 61-63.

St. Louis' chances of making the playoffs have decreased by 51.4% in such a short time, and it's hard to see how the Cardinals will climb out of the hole they've dug themselves in.

Some thought Saturday night's 5-2 victory over the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers was a sign of life but Sunday's lackluster 2-1 defeat was a reminder that this Cardinals team still has plenty to work on.

The Cardinals' run differential is the eighth-worst in the league, at -62, meaning they give up significantly more runs than they score. This statistic shows that St. Louis is likely playing over its head and when push comes to shove, it's not good enough to compete with top contending teams.

There's still over a month left of baseball left to play and anything's possible. However, it's safe to say the Cardinals' chances of playing in October are less than probable.

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