ST. LOUIS — Not long ago, the St. Louis Cardinals were a team teetering on the edge of early-season irrelevance. Following a discouraging four-game sweep by the New York Mets in mid-April and a 9-13 record, fans and analysts alike began questioning whether 2025 was already a lost cause.
Even manager Oli Marmol, known for his composed demeanor, didn’t hide his frustration after that Easter Sunday sweep in New York. “You still played good baseball,” he said candidly. “It just wasn’t good enough… Did you win or did you lose, right? At the end of the day, this group is playing the game the right way.”
But something has shifted — and dramatically.
After bottoming out once more with a lopsided 9-3 home loss to the same Mets two weeks later, the Cardinals’ season seemed ready to spiral. Then came a rainout. Then came a doubleheader. Then came the spark.
With a sweep of the Mets in that twin bill, the Cardinals launched what has become the defining stretch of their season thus far — a scorching nine-game win streak that reignited belief inside the clubhouse and across Cardinal Nation. Even after that streak was snapped on Wednesday in Philadelphia, the team answered immediately, hammering the Phillies 14-7 in the nightcap and improving to 10 wins in their last 11 games.
“We’re still playing the same brand of baseball,” Marmol said after Wednesday’s win. “The difference now is, we’re getting results. The effort has never wavered. Now we’re starting to cash in.”
The Cardinals now head into a weekend series in Kansas City trailing the division-leading Cubs by just one game — a remarkable swing considering they were nine games worse off only a couple of weeks ago.
Veteran pitcher Erick Fedde described the surge simply: “This is what we thought this team could be. There’s a big difference between believing in it and actually doing it.”
The team’s revival isn’t just about veteran presence. It’s the youth movement that’s made the biggest noise.
Victor Scott II, barely a year removed from the minors, is emerging as a WAR leader alongside Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan. Masyn Winn, who started the season hitless in his first 18 at-bats, is now batting .333 with five home runs. And Matthew Liberatore, once a decent reliever, is now staking his claim as the club’s most reliable starter.
Even the bullpen has found a gem in Kyle Leahy, whose dominant outings have started whispers of All-Star consideration despite his non-closer role.
“These are the kind of things that change a team’s trajectory,” said third baseman Nolan Arenado, speaking last weekend in Washington. “Playing well against tough teams in their ballparks, that’s a test. And we’ve been passing it.”
The turnaround has stunned much of the National League, especially given that the front office entered the season preaching patience over immediate success. But talent has a way of changing timelines. And the Cardinals — once presumed to be a team of the future — are now making a loud case to be taken seriously right now.
Of course, no team wins 10 out of every 11 games forever. The road ahead will still be uneven. But what this stretch has proven is that the Cardinals have the makeup of a contender, even in a season where no one expected it.
They were counted out. Now they’re climbing fast — and the rest of the NL Central is officially on notice.
