Cardinals' impressive start to 2025 has unexpected World Series parallel attached

19 years ago, the St. Louis Cardinals opened up the 2006 season on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies, sweeping their National League East foe and beginning what was an eventual year that led to an unexpected World Series title. The Cardinals have not begun a season 3-0 since then...until now.

Yes, for all of the frustration and pessimism many of us had this offseason, the Cardinals are flying high after their Opening Series against the Minnesota Twins, scoring at least five runs in every contest against a club with good starting pitching and a strong bullpen while holding the Twins to three or fewer runs in each contest.

So, does that mean the Cardinals are primed for another improbable World Series run? Eh, let's hold our horses for a while on that bold of a take. But it sure is good to see the club starting the season so strong, which is something they have not been able to do in recent years.

The Cardinals' undefeated start to their season has parallels to an iconic World Series team, but the bigger news is how it differs from their squads over the last few years.

I don't need to remind many of you of this, but the Cardinals have not gotten off to good starts over the last two seasons. In 2024, the club went 1-3 as they opened up the year on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers and finished the month of April with a 14-16 record. In 2023, they lost Opening Day but took the next two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, and then completely flopped to the tune of a 10-19 record by the end of April.

We are just one series into the year, so there is plenty of room for the team to fall on its face and have a sub-.500 record by the end of April once again, but there is something to be said about a strong opening series like the Cardinals just had that can set the tone of good baseball, and it's much easier to push for contention when you stack wins early in the year than to try and claw your way back the rest of the season.

That has been another unfortunate trend from this club that goes even farther back than the last two years. Obviously I'm stretching out the sample size even farther now, but the Cardinals have not been a first-half team for a while now. Here is their first-half record each season dating back to:

2024: 50-46
2023: 38-52
2022: 50-44
2021: 44-46
2020: 14-15 (COVID-shortened season)
2019: 44-44
2018: 48-46
2017: 43-45

If the Cardinals can take advantage of a favorable schedule to begin their year, not only will it not put them behind the eight ball from day one, but it could also help breed even more confidence and excitement both within the clubhouse and in the fanbase. That is something this organization desperately needs, especially if they want to recuperate ticket sales this summer.

It was an exciting opening weekend series from this Cardinal club, and while I am cautiously optimistic that brighter days are ahead, we have so much baseball left to be played before we can make that kind of declaration.