Do we as fans owe the Cardinals an apology?

On May 13th, the St. Louis Cardinals were in last place with a 16-24 record. As of June 3rd, the Cardinals sit in second place in the NL Central and in sole possession of the third Wild Card with a 28-29 record, a respectable mark given the team's difficult start to the season.

After last season's disgrace, fans were quick to bury the Cardinals after just a quarter of the season being complete. Discourse online and among writers was dulled, and flashbacks to the 2023 season were becoming prevalent amongst the St. Louis faithful.

The team has since turned things around, and it's possible the fans owe the team, the coaches, and the front office an apology. The starting rotation has been masterful, and John Mozeliak's 3 offseason acquisitions, Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, have a combined 3.25 ERA in 174.1 innings on the season. Those are fantastic figures for any rotation's top three starters.

The offense has taken off recently as well; they've scored 5 or more runs in their last 14 games. In just the last 2 weeks, the offense has an OPS of .799, they've mashed 16 home runs, and they are hitting .282 as a team. Every offensive statistic has seen a boost since May 14th.

Paul Goldschmidt probably deserves the most recognition for his recent efforts. In just the last 7 days, Goldy has a .350/.435/.900 slash line with 3 home runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 6 runs batted in during that span. He's been on a tear lately, and even his last 14 days feature an OPS of .938. This is the Goldy we were all expecting this year.

The folks on the Foul Territory podcast discussed this exact topic. Scott Braun posited the question of whether we owe the Cardinals an apology or not after their recent tear. He then answered his own query.

I certainly haven't been too kind about their future. I'm not saying they're terrible; they're going to be better than last year, but I did a couple of recent Cardinals' podcasts, and (some fans have) gotten really excited. I'm like 'let's pump the brakes.' I still think this is a peak .500-ish team. I will give a ton of credit to some of the starters they picked up in the offseason. They're making a huge difference. They're not a great roster yet.

Co-hosts A.J. Pierzynski and Erik Kratz echoed Braun's thoughts as well stating the impact of the recent wins against teams like the Cubs and Orioles. All three hosts spoke about the team getting back in it, but their playoff odds are still up in the air a bit. Kratz discussed the issues in digging a big hole at the beginning of the year and then playing hot to only get to .500.

For years, John Mozeliak has preached patience. That word has been in his vernacular more often this year alone. That patience seems to be paying off finally. The Cardinals are reeling off series wins like crazy. They've been hot recently, but the fact that they're just at .500 is a bit concerning. Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras will return soon to help bolster the lineup. Some pitching acquisitions will help deepen the rotation and give key relievers some much-needed reprieve.

For those who gave up on the season just 25% of the way in, you may have to consider penning some apology letters to the coaches, players, and front-office staff.