You may now begin worrying about the Cardinals

It’s still relatively early for the terrible-thus-far 2023 Cardinals, but it keeps getting later

We the Knowers of Baseball have made a fetish out of reminding the unwashed that the sample size is too small and the season is not yet old enough to justify whatever it is you’re about to say and whenever you’re about to say it. This is a sound practice given the uniqueness of baseball’s sprawling schedule, but insofar as the 2023 Cardinals are concerned it’s time to begin taking some small steps back from all the qualifiers. While there’s still plenty of time for the Cards to enjoy a reversal of fortunes, we need to bow to the realities that the team has created for itself. 

Those realities: The Cardinals depart April with a 10-19 record; in last place in the NL Central (behind the first-place Pirates by a full 10 games – a figure, you’ll note, that matches the Cards’ current win total); six games out of final NL wild-card position; and behind six teams, including the Reds and Nationals, in the wild-card queue. 

So with May (mercifully) in the offing, consider: