Whoever said the two consistencies in life are death and taxes obviously omitted the St. Louis Cardinals baseball franchise.
The Cardinals in 2022 continued a National League record-long streak, that being the number of seasons in which the club has avoided posting the NL’s worst record.
Needless to say, the 93-68 Cardinals of 2022 kept that streak alive, continuing a feat that has lived on since the Woodrow Wilson administration.
The last time the Cardinals finished dead-last in the NL (1918), the First World War was ending, and the airplane was barely a decade old. That's a note to keep in mind for hypothetical Missouri sportsbooks.
Thanks to data collected from Baseball Reference, we know the Cards have an eight-decade advantage on the next closest club in the NL (the Atlanta Braves) when it comes to avoiding the cellar of the senior circuit.
BetMissouri.com compiled information that Baseball Reference has available to crunch the numbers on the Cardinals historic streak, giving greater insight into how remarkably consistent the franchise has been, dating back to the turn of the 20th century.
Most Recent Season Having Worst Record in National League
MORE: Missouri sports betting apps
All About Consistency
The Cardinals rank ahead of fellow NL stalwarts, Atlanta (1990), L.A. (1992), New York (1993), and Milwaukee (2002) in avoiding a meltdown when it comes to wins and losses.
Conversely, the Washington Nationals (2022), Arizona Diamondbacks (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2020), Miami Marlins (2019), and San Francisco Giants (2017) share the dubious honor of being the latest teams to post the worst record in the NL.
MORE: Best Missouri sportsbook promos
What to Know About the Cardinals 2022 Playoff Run
The Cardinals kick off their postseason run against the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card Round at 7:37 p.m. Central time Saturday.
Carlos Marmol’s squad currently has the seventh-best championship odds on BetMGM Missouri, at +1800, with Missouri residents having the opportunity to travel to Illinois or Kansas to place their wagers on the squad, either in-person or via the company’s mobile application.
When it comes to NL betting odds, the Cardinals currently have the fourth-best odds of capturing the league pennant at +900 — behind L.A. (+140), Atlanta (+225), and New York (+400).
The Cardinals have yet to announce who they’ll trot out on the mound against Philadelphia, but could turn to Adam Wainwright, Jordan Montgomery or Miles Mikolas in the best-of-three Wild Card series.
For now, Marmol’s squad can take solace in continuing a streak that dates back to the days of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, avoiding the basement of the National League yet again.
Remember, once sports bettting does finally come to the state, DraftKings Missouri is sure to be a major player.
