Cardinals Have Reached Mark Not Touched Since 2018

The Cardinals ended up winning 88 games in 2018, only narrowly missing the postseason. After that, they appeared in the postseason four straight years.

While it didn't end the way they had hoped, there were a lot of positives in 2018, such as Matt Carpenter pushing his way into the MVP conversation. This team is obviously a lot different, but they are certainly playing well.

The 2026 Cardinals are a much younger squad than the 2018 team, but the team is playing loose and relaxed to start the season. In fact, with expectations so low for this year's team, the Cardinals appear to have embraced the role of the underdog.

The team isn't facing any pressure due to their rebuild, and perhaps that has led to them performing better than expected. Gone are Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, but the young players on the roster are certainly making the most of their opportunities.

JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker now have full runway this season. Walker has gotten off to a hot start, having hit eight home runs thus far and seemingly finally reaching his potential.

As long as the positive signs continue, this could be a team that surprises a lot of people. The NL Central is a tough fight this season, with every team currently over the .500 mark, but the Cardinals are showing that they might be a better team than expected.

The team has won five consecutive games, so things are looking pretty good heading into their next series against the Miami Marlins.

It will be interesting to see if they can keep this up, but there are a lot of positive signs for fans to grasp onto as the rest of the season unfolds. It's been a while since fans have felt excitement around the team.