St. Louis Cardinals' early schedule presents opportunity to get out ahead

In 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals had a rough start to the year. They opened against the eventual World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers for three games in Hollywood. They then stayed on the West Coast to face off against the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals also went head-to-head against the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks (the 2023 National League pennant winners) twice, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets.

Despite the difficult start to the year, the Cardinals came out of March and April with a 14-16 record, which was not too shabby.

The St. Louis Cardinals have a slightly easier start to the season in 2025 than they did in 2024.

This year, the Cardinals get a bit of a break with their early-season draws. They'll start out at home this year against the Minnesota Twins, another organization that is cutting back on spending and leaning on its youth. After the Twins, the Cardinals stay at home to face the Los Angeles Angels.

St. Louis then moves to the northeast to play three against the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates, two series that shouldn't be terribly overwhelming for the Redbirds. They then come home for their longest and toughest stretch in April. St. Louis starts this stretch with three games against the aging Philadelphia Phillies and three more against the Houston Astros, still a potential suitor for Nolan Arenado.

They'll then travel to play four games against the New York Mets and then three against the Atlanta Braves. Both series will be road series for St. Louis. The Mets signed this off-season's biggest fish in Juan Soto, and their large budget presents a challenge to the Cardinals, a mid-market team. The Braves have been one of the best teams in the National League for the last five years, and they're always a difficult opponent, especially at home.

St. Louis comes back home to face the Milwaukee Brewers for three games, and they close out the month against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincy.

Altogether, the Cardinals will play 16 games on the road between March and April and 15 at home. The teams the Cardinals will face in these first two months had a cumulative record of 581-552 last year for a .513 winning percentage. Five of the ten teams they'll face made the playoffs last year.

The Cardinals have three off days in the month of April: April 3rd, April 10th, and April 24th. However, they play 13 straight games from April 11th through the 23rd.

In order to help alleviate some of the stresses of the early season, the Cardinals are considering employing a six-man rotation. This consideration also comes on the heels of a strong spring showing by prospect Michael McGreevy. Nevertheless, the three off days through the first 31 games of the year don't exactly open up the need for a six-man rotation. Katie Woo of The Athletic put it best, saying, "The first two weeks of the schedule do not bode well for a six-man rotation. The Cardinals have three off days in their first 15 days of the season (March 28, April 3, and April 10), though extra rest to start the season isn’t a bad thing."

With three off days and a softer schedule than the first month of 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals are hoping to get off to a strong start. Finishing the month of April above .500 will go a long way toward success throughout the regular season and a potential playoff berth in a transitory year.