National power ranking shows the lack of belief in the St. Louis Cardinals

On Friday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) released his 2025 power rankings for all 30 MLB teams. To the surprise of no one, the Dodgers, Yankees, and Phillies are at the top of his list. Bowden, who gave the Cardinals an “F” for their inactive offseason back in January and considered John Mozeliak one of the offseason’s biggest “losers,” placed the St. Louis Cardinals at no. 25. 

That is the lowest ranking among all five National League Central teams. Only the Athletics, Angels, Rockies, Marlins, and White Sox rank below the Cardinals. 

Bowden’s take for placing the Cardinals low in his power rankings is based on the rebuild this team is going through. By letting go of veteran Paul Goldschmidt in free agency and attempting to trade Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals are looking to see what future President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has with some of the younger players. Bowden also wonders who among the Cardinals veteran pitchers, Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, and Miles Mikolas, will be traded at the deadline. 

As tough as it is to see the Cardinals so low in a power rankings list, it is not surprising. The Cardinals have failed to accomplish their number-one goal of the offseason: trade Arenado. This Sunday, the ten-time Gold Glove winner reported to Spring Training, where he stated that he was “in the right place.” 

Bowden has been one of the harshest critics of the Cardinals this offseason, but his stance is justified. With a push to prioritize the youth movement, expectations for the Cardinals are tepid at best. The front office has stated that trading Arenado was their number-one priority, but they have not accomplished that. 

On the other hand, with so many unknowns on this year’s roster, the Cardinals can potentially surprise the doubters such as Bowden.