SAN FRANCISCO – For the third consecutive season, the St. Louis Cardinals have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and will miss the postseason.
The Cardinals dropped Wednesday’s series finale to the San Francisco Giants, 4-3. The loss moves the Cardinals to 78-81 in the 2025 campaign.
With the Cardinals now only able to max out at 81 wins this season, and with the New York Mets currently at 81 wins and holding the last NL postseason spot (plus a head-to-head tiebreaker), the Cardinals were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday evening, their fourth-to-last game of the regular season.
This marks the first time since 2016-2018 that the Cardinals have missed postseason in three consecutive years. The Cardinals have fallen short of postseason in six of the last 10 seasons and have only won one playoff series in that same time.
Wednesday’s loss also means the Cardinals will not finish above .500 for the second time in three years. If the Cardinals win out in their remaining three games, they will break even at .500 for the season. Anything else, they will finish the season below .500.
The last time the Cardinals didn’t finish above .500 at least twice in a three-year span? 1997-1999.
The Cardinals wrap up the 2025 regular season with a three-game weekend road series against the Chicago Cubs. The season finale is Sunday afternoon.
Shortly after the 2025 season, Chaim Bloom will take over for John Mozeliak as the Cardinals’ lead front office executive. The move should lead to a larger emphasis on player development and perhaps some trades involving veterans in the offseason, possibly even eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.