10 bold predictions for the Cardinals trade deadline and rest of the 2024 season

Bold Prediction #9 - Cardinals win first playoff series since 2019

It’s wild to think the Cardinals have not won a playoff series since 2019 when they advanced to the NLCS and got swept by the Washington Nationals.

In 2020, they fell at the hands of the San Diego Padres. In 2021, they lost the Wild Card game to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a Chris Taylor walk-off. In 2022, they were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in two games. And we all remember how 2023 went.

Should they win the division like I’m predicting they will, they’d likely face one of the teams currently fighting for the third Wild Card in the Mets, Diamondbacks Padres, Pirates, Reds, or Giants at home. There’s an outside chance they face the Brewers or Braves, but I would imagine they’d win the first two Wild Cards.

A lot can change between now and October, but I’d favor the Cardinals at home against any of the first six teams I mentioned. If they had to face the Braves or Brewers at home, it would be a close matchup, but as of today, I’d give the Cardinals the slight edge.

Even if the Cardinals don’t win the division and either have to host another wild card team or go on the road in that series, I’m still predicting they find a way to win that series. Anything can happen in a three-game series, but I predict that their solid rotation keeps them in games, and their deep lineup and stealer bullpen will win them the series.

If not, well, I'm predicting there will be change coming anyways.