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Three playoff contenders that mirror Cardinals teams of the past
This year's field of postseason teams will not feature the Cardinals. For the first time since 2018, St. Louis will be sitting out for the postseason.
However, that doesn't mean that the postseason won't still be exciting to watch. Granted, it won't be as exciting for those of us in Cardinal Nation due to the Cardinals not being there, but there are going to be some very good teams going up against each other in October.
And if you look hard enough at each team, you might be able to find some striking similarities to other teams of the past, even those of the Cardinals.
With that being said, the playoffs will feature several former Cardinal players. Jordan Montgomery will be a key part of the Rangers rotation. Edmundo Sosa will be a key utility piece for the Phillies, and the Blue Jays added Genesis Cabrera and Jordan Hicks in separate deals with the Cardinals at the deadline.
So while the Cardinals aren't going to be playing next month, several of our favorite former Cardinals will, and they could get a taste of October glory as they try to guide their teams to a World Series title, something the Cardinals haven't experienced since 2011.
In this piece, we will be looking at three current postseason contenders and how they mirror certain Cardinals teams of the past. Of course, they will not have much in common with this year's rendition of the Cardinals.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers are an interesting team this year. For much of the season, they led the AL West before the Astros and Mariners got hot and took the top spot from them. But they still have a shot to chase down an AL West title.
How are they similar to the Cardinals you ask? Well, consider that in 2011, the Cardinals made their championship run without Adam Wainwright. He was out for the season due to Tommy John surgery, and the Cardinals were forced to rely heavily on Chris Carpenter.
Texas has both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer on the injured list, and they are both out for the season. However, their pitching staff is not doomed. Like the 2011 Cardinals, they have a frontline guy at the top of the rotation, that being Nathan Eovaldi.
He's a guy that can pitch in big games and be counted on when circumstances are dire. Texas also has Montgomery, Dane Dunning, Jon Gray, Martin Perez, and Andrew Heaney who can start. They still could be a dangerous team this October and surprise some people.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins aren't necessarily an overpowering team, but I could see them being an underdog this coming October. The AL Central is perhaps the weakest division in all of baseball, and the Twins are very clearly the best out of a bad bunch.
They have quality starting pitching with guys such as Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, and Joe Ryan. Because they are not necessarily a powerhouse, they give off similar vibes to the 2006 Cardinals. That team was stacked on paper but won only 83 games during the regular season. Somehow, that was good enough to win the NL Central.
Like the Twins, the '06 Cardinals had a powerful lineup and a solid pitching staff carried them to the World Series. The Twins could potentially be this year's Cinderella story.
Atlanta Braves
You really can't bet against the Braves this year. They are very clearly the best team in all of baseball.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, they boast elite pitching and perhaps the best lineup in all of baseball. With stars such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris II in their lineup, they mirror the 2004 Cardinals, who had Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker, and Reggie Sanders.
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The Cardinals didn't win the World Series that year, but that could be where all similarities end between the '04 team and this year's Braves.