Cardinals' Disastrous Season Is Somehow Worse Than You Think

"As the Cardinals' record continues to be in a free fall and their lottery odds seem to go up each week, it's weird to think that just a few months ago, they were riding high and looked like a playoff contender," Jacobs wrote. "After a rough start to 2025, the Cardinals rebounded in a big way during the month of May, but things have been in a tailspin ever since. Since June 1st, the Cardinals' offense ranks bottom six in all of baseball in runs scored, wRC+, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, walk rate, and many other categories.

"Their rotation has been even worse since then, ranking bottom three in baseball in ERA, K/9, fWAR, losses, and bottom five in almost every other important category outside of innings. They've had an atrocious offense and starting rotation for the summer, and their only saving grace has been their exceptional bullpen."

There's really not much to be excited about in St. Louis right now. While they've remained scrappy throughout the season, there aren't but two or three players on the roster who look like they would be quality pieces on a World Series contender.

The Cardinals are going to need to execute a full-scale rebuild if they want to push for the World Series in the next decade. That means a full reconstruction of their pitching staff from the top to the bottom. That also means they'll need to cut ties with multiple talented position players who can't figure it out at the big league level.