Cardinals Playoff Odds: St. Louis looks like World Series threats

An updated look at the St. Louis Cardinals playoff odds reveals that they are a serious threat to represent the National League in the World Series.

I’m ready to say it: the St. Louis Cardinals have the feel.

Before the trade deadline, the Cardinals were a very talented yet flawed team. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt looked like MVP candidates, of course, while the pitching staff led by Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas were overcoming the injuries to Steven Matz and Jack Flaherty. But the offense had not lived up to expectations, with Tyler O’Neill struggling, and the pitching staff needing an infusion of talent.

The trade deadline took care of that, as Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana have revamped the rotation and added much-needed talent. It energized the Cardinals and they now appear primed to run away with the National League Central. At the same time, they look like a serious contender to represent the NL in the World Series. They’ve been that good.

Entering Monday, the Cardinals have a 95.5 percent chance of advancing to the postseason and an 84.4 percent chance to win the division, according to FanGraphs. Their odds to win the World Series, meanwhile, are only at 3.3 percent – which seem surprisingly low. It’s the fifth best odds in the NL and the eighth best in baseball.

Based on how this Cardinals team looks now, and the positive juju that appears to be engulfing the clubhouse, those odds should be higher. Their task of dethroning the Dodgers will be incredibly difficult – they have a 17.1 percent chance of winning the division – but they are not without their flaws, as Walker Buehler is out for the season following elbow surgery.

There is over a month left in the regular season, so expect those odds to continue to increase, especially if they continue to play at this level.