Top three most painful Cardinals postseason moments in recent history

The 2023 season will end up being unlike many in Cardinals history. While not official yet, all signs point to the Cardinals falling short of the postseason for the first time since 2018, only adding to some of the recent playoff heartache the team has felt over the past four seasons.

Ever since being swept by the Nationals in the 2019 NLCS, the Cardinals have failed to advance past the Wild Card round in each of the last three seasons. Barring a crazy comeback, the likes of which would have to dwarf that of 2011, the Cardinals won't even get a chance to reach the Wild Card round.

The history of the Cardinals franchise is undeniably storied, with generations of success, winning, and truly magical moments. But that doesn't mean that there haven't been some disappointing moments for the Cardinals and their loyal fanbase.

For a team that prides itself on being a perennial World Series contender, the past few years have been difficult. At the end of this season, it will have officially been 11 years since the Cardinals' last trip to the Fall Classic.

That's something that the Cardinals will have to improve on in the coming years if they want to return to their World Series contender status, and we could spend hours discussing what the Cardinals need to do in order to build a better team.

In this piece, we will take a hard look at the three most disappointing postseason moments in recent franchise history.