The Cardinals are exactly where we thought they would be

The St. Louis Cardinals have a 74-72 record with just 16 games to go in 2024. This puts them on pace to win 82 games this year, an 11-game improvement from last year. After a sub-.500 season, having a winning season, regardless of how close the team is to .500, is progress compared to 2023.

However, they'll still be on the outside looking in at the postseason, and that's been disappointing for fans. Why wouldn't it be? Cardinal Nation is a proud, supportive, and knowledgeable collection of people who love rooting for their team in the postseason. To miss the playoffs in two straight seasons is tantamount to a drought for many fans in and around St. Louis.

However, the results we are seeing from the team are exactly what we expected out of them. Now, the Cardinals may not have gotten to this point in the way we expected, but the end result is exactly what we thought it would be this year. Below you'll find preseason projections from various outlets for the Cardinals.

For the most part, the Cardinals have met their preseason projections thus far. They'll far short of the PECOTA and ESPN projections, but an 82-win season is within the margin of error. The Cardinals are where we expected them to be, but how they got there isn't what fans expected.

Fans expected the offense to carry the team. With players like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Willson Contreras in the heart of the lineup, surely the offense wouldn't be an issue. Instead, the offense has ranked in the back half of the league all year, particularly when players are in scoring position.

The pitching staff is exactly what we thought they would be. The starters have been smack in the middle of the league in major statistical categories. While fans would have preferred better starters this offseason, the team has floated by with the pitchers they have all year.

The main strength of the team this year has been its relievers. They are near the top of the league in win probability added, and Ryan Helsley leads all of the majors in saves this year. JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge have been hanging near the top of the league in holds all year as well. Matthew Liberatore has been a pleasant surprise in relief, and others like Ryan Fernandez and John King have provided strong innings out of the 'pen.

The Cardinals are 39-35 at home, 35-37 on the road, 42-47 against teams over .500, and 32-25 against teams under .500. They're winning in games at home and against lesser teams. The Cardinals season just makes sense at this point, and this is where fans and pundits alike projected them to be.

The Cardinals are what we thought they would be: a .500 team that struggles against good teams and wins for the most part against bad teams. It's disappointing to not see the team in the playoffs, but they're meeting expectations. All we as fans can hope for is a resurgent offseason with a revamped roster next year.