List of St. Louis Cardinals seasons

The St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri, compete in the National League (NL) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Founded in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association (AA), the team was originally named the Brown Stockings before it was shortened to Browns the next season. The team moved to the National League in 1892 when the AA folded. The club changed its name to the Perfectos for one season in 1899 and adopted the Cardinals name in 1900. The St. Louis Cardinals are tied with the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates as the third-oldest continuously operated baseball team. In that time, the team has won 19 National League pennants and 11 World Series championships (most in the National League and second only to the New York Yankees, who have won 27). They also won four American Association pennants and one pre-World Series championship that Major League Baseball does not consider official.

The Cardinals had six periods of continued success during their history. The first period occurred during the 1880s when the team won four consecutive American Association pennants from 1885–1888 while known as the Browns. The Cardinals next found success from 1926–1934 when they played in five World Series, winning three. During World War II the Cardinals won four NL pennants in five years from 1942–1946, including three World Series championships. During the 1960s the Cardinals won two World Series and played in another. In the 1980s the Cardinals played in three World Series, winning in 1982. Most recently, the Cardinals have made the playoffs nine times, winning seven NL Central titles and qualifying as a wild-card entrant in 2001, 2011 and 2012, winning the World Series in 2006 and 2011.

The only extended period of failure the Cardinals have experienced began when they joined the National League in 1892. The Cardinals played only five winning seasons in 30 years while finishing last seven times from their entrance to the NL until 1921. However, the Cardinals have remarkably avoided such failure since then as they have not finished in last place in the National League since 1918, by far the longest streak in the NL. Like the Yankees and Dodgers, the Cardinals have not lost 100 games in a season since World War I. The Cardinals failed to reach the World Series in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s, but were regularly a competitive team in each of these decades.

Year by year AA Champions(1882–1892) *Pre-World Series Champions(1884–1891) †World Series Champions(1903–present) ‡NL Champions(1892–present) **Division champions(1969–present) ^Wild card berth(1994–present) ¤ SeasonLevelLeagueDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%GBPostseasonAwardsSt. Louis Brown Stockings1882MLBAA 5th3743 .46318St. Louis Browns1883MLBAA2nd 6533 .663 11884 MLBAA4th6740 .626 81885 MLBAA *1st7933 .705 —Tied World Series (White Stockings) 3–3–1 *1886MLB †AA *1st9346 .669 —Won World Series (White Stockings) 4–2 †1887MLBAA *1st9540 .704 —Lost World Series (Wolverines) 10–5 *Tip O'Neill(TC)1888 MLBAA *1st9243 .681 —Lost World Series (Giants) 6–4 *1889 MLBAA2nd9045 .667 21890 MLBAA3rd78 58 .574 121891 MLBAA2nd8551 .625 8½1892 MLBNL11th5694 .373 461893MLBNL10th5775 .432 30½1894 MLBNL9th5676 .424 341895 MLBNL11th3992 .298 48½1896 MLBNL11th4090 .308 50½1897 MLBNL12th29102 .221 63½ 1898 MLBNL12th39111 .260 63½ St. Louis Perfectos1899 MLBNL5th8467 .556 18½St. Louis Cardinals1900 MLBNL5th6575 .464 19 1901 MLBNL4th7664 .543 14½ 1902 MLBNL6th5678 .418 44½ 1903 MLBNL8th4394 .314 46½ 1904 MLBNL5th7579 .487 31½ 1905 MLBNL6th5896 .377 47 1906 MLBNL7th5298 .347 63 1907 MLBNL8th52101 .340 55½ 1908 MLBNL8th49105 .318 50 1909 MLBNL7th5498 .355 56 1910 MLBNL7th6390 .412 40½ 1911 MLBNL5th7574 .503 22 1912 MLBNL6th6390 .412 41 1913 MLBNL8th5199 .340 49 1914 MLBNL3rd8172 .529 13 1915 MLBNL6th7281 .471 18½ 1916 MLBNL7th6093 .392 33½ 1917 MLBNL3rd8270 .539 15 1918 MLBNL8th5178 .395 33 1919 MLBNL7th5483 .394 40½ 1920MLBNL5th7579 .487 18 1921 MLBNL3rd8766 .569 7 1922 MLBNL3rd8569 .552 8 Rogers Hornsby(TC)1923 MLBNL5th7974 .516 16 1924 MLBNL6th6589 .422 28½ 1925 MLBNL4th7776 .503 18 Rogers Hornsby (MVP, TC)1926MLB ‡NL **1st8965 .578 —Won World Series (Yankees) 4–3 ‡Bob O'Farrell (MVP)1927 MLBNL2nd9261 .601 1½ 1928 MLBNL **1st9559 .617 — Lost World Series (Yankees) 4–0 **Jim Bottomley (MVP)1929 MLBNL4th7874 .513 20 1930 MLBNL **1st9262 .597 —Lost World Series (Athletics) 4–2 **1931MLB ‡NL **1st10153 .656 —Won World Series (Athletics) 4–3 ‡Frankie Frisch (MVP)1932 MLBNL6th7282 .468 18 1933 MLBNL5th8271 .536 9½ 1934MLB ‡NL **1st9558 .621 —Won World Series (Tigers) 4–3 ‡Dizzy Dean (MVP)1935 MLBNL2nd9658 .623 41936 MLBNL2nd8767 .565 5 1937 MLBNL4th8173 .526 15Joe Medwick (MVP, TC)1938 MLBNL6th7180 .470 17½ 1939 MLBNL2nd9261 .601 4½ 1940 MLBNL3rd8469 .549 16 1941 MLBNL2nd9756 .634 2½ 1942MLB ‡NL **1st10648 .688 —Won World Series (Yankees) 4–1 ‡Mort Cooper (MVP)1943 MLBNL **1st10549 .682 —Lost World Series (Yankees) 4–1 **Stan Musial (MVP)1944MLB ‡NL **1st10549 .682 —Won World Series (Browns) 4–2 ‡Marty Marion (MVP)1945 MLBNL2nd9559 .617 3 1946MLB ‡NL **1st9858 .628 —Won World Series (Red Sox) 4–3 ‡Stan Musial (MVP)1947 MLBNL2nd8965 .578 5 1948 MLBNL2nd8569 .552 6½Stan Musial (MVP)1949 MLBNL2nd9658 .623 1 1950 MLBNL5th7875 .510 12½ 1951 MLBNL3rd8173 .526 15½ 1952 MLBNL3rd8866 .571 8½ 1953MLBNL4th8371 .539 22 1954 MLBNL6th7282 .468 25 Wally Moon (ROY)1955 MLBNL7th6886 .442 30½Bill Virdon (ROY)1956 MLBNL4th7678 .494 17 1957 MLBNL2nd8767 .565 8 1958 MLBNL5th7282 .468 20 1959 MLBNL7th7183 .461 16 1960 MLBNL3rd8668 .558 9 1961 MLBNL5th8074 .519 13 1962 MLBNL6th8478 .519 17½ 1963 MLBNL2nd9369 .574 6 1964MLB ‡NL **1st9369 .574 —Won World Series (Yankees) 4–3 ‡Ken Boyer (MVP)Bob Gibson (WS MVP)1965 MLBNL7th8081 .497 16½ 1966MLBNL6th8379 .512 12 1967MLB ‡NL **1st10160 .627 —Won World Series (Red Sox) 4–3 ‡Orlando Cepeda (MVP)Bob Gibson (WS MVP)1968 MLBNL **1st9765 .599 —Lost World Series (Tigers) 4–3 **Bob Gibson (MVP, CYA)1969 MLBNLEast4th8775 .537 13 1970 MLBNLEast4th7686 .469 13Bob Gibson (CYA)1971 MLBNLEast2nd9072 .556 7Joe Torre (MVP)1972 MLBNLEast4th7581 .481 21½ 1973 MLBNLEast2nd8181 .500 1½ 1974 MLBNLEast2nd8675 .534 1½ Bake McBride (ROY)1975 MLBNLEast4th8280 .506 10½ 1976 MLBNLEast5th7290 .444 29 1977 MLBNLEast3rd8379 .512 18 1978 MLBNLEast5th6993 .426 21 1979 MLBNLEast3rd8676 .531 12 Keith Hernandez (MVP)1980 MLBNLEast4th7488 .457 17 1981 MLBNLEast2nd3020 .600 1½2nd2923.558½1982MLB ‡NL **East ^1st9270 .568 —Won NLCS (Braves) 3–0Won World Series (Brewers) 4–3 ‡Darrell Porter (WS MVP)1983 MLBNLEast4th7983 .488 11 1984 MLBNLEast3rd8478 .519 12½ 1985 MLBNL **East ^1st10161 .623 —Won NLCS (Dodgers) 4–2Lost World Series (Royals) 4–3 **Willie McGee (MVP)Vince Coleman (ROY)Whitey Herzog (MOY)1986 MLBNLEast3rd7982 .491 28½Todd Worrell (ROY)1987 MLBNL **East ^1st9567 .586 —Won NLCS (Giants) 4–3Lost World Series (Twins) 4–3 **1988 MLBNLEast5th7686 .469 25 1989 MLBNLEast3rd8676 .531 7 1990 MLBNLEast6th7092 .432 25 1991 MLBNLEast2nd8478 .519 14 1992 MLBNLEast3rd8379 .512 13 1993 MLBNLEast3rd8775 .537 10 1994 MLBNLCentral3rd5361 .465 13 Playoffs cancelled1995 MLBNLCentral4th6281 .434 22½ 1996MLB NLCentral ^1st8874 .543 —Won NLDS (Padres) 3–0Lost NLCS (Braves) 4–31997 MLBNLCentral4th7389 .451 11 1998MLB NLCentral3rd8379 .512 19 1999 MLB NLCentral4th7586 .466 21½ 2000 MLBNLCentral ^1st9567 .586 —Won NLDS (Braves) 3–0Lost NLCS (Mets) 4–12001 MLB NLCentral1st ¤9369 .574 —Lost NLDS (Diamondbacks) 3–2Albert Pujols (ROY)2002 MLBNLCentral ^1st9765 .599 —Won NLDS (Diamondbacks) 3–0Lost NLCS (Giants) 4–1Tony La Russa (MOY)2003 MLBNLCentral3rd8577 .525 3 2004 MLBNL **Central ^1st10557 .648 —Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–1Won NLCS (Astros) 4–3Lost World Series (Red Sox) 4–0 **2005 MLBNLCentral ^1st10062 .617 —Won NLDS (Padres) 3–0Lost NLCS (Astros) 4–2Albert Pujols (MVP)Chris Carpenter (CYA)2006MLB ‡NL **Central ^1st8378 .516 —Won NLDS (Padres) 3–1Won NLCS (Mets) 4–3Won World Series (Tigers) 4–1 ‡David Eckstein (WS MVP)2007 MLBNLCentral3rd7884 .481 72008 MLBNLCentral4th8676 .531 11½Albert Pujols (MVP)2009MLBNLCentral ^1st9171 .562 —Lost NLDS (Dodgers) 3–0Albert Pujols (MVP)2010MLBNLCentral2nd8676 .531 62011MLB ‡NL **Central2nd ¤9072.5566 Won NLDS (Phillies) 3–2Won NLCS (Brewers) 4–2Won World Series (Rangers) 4–3 ‡David Freese (WS MVP)2012MLBNLCentral2nd ¤8874.5439Won NLWC (Braves)Won NLDS (Nationals) 3–2Lost NLCS (Giants) 4–32013MLBNL **Central ^1st9765.599—Won NLDS (Pirates) 3–2Won NLCS (Dodgers) 4–2Lost World Series (Red Sox) 4–2 **2014MLBNLCentral ^1st9072.556—Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–1Lost NLCS (Giants) 4–12015MLBNLCentral ^1st10062.617—Lost NLDS (Cubs) 3–12016MLBNLCentral2nd8676.53117½2017MLBNLCentral3rd8379.51292018MLBNLCentral3rd8874.5437½2019MLBNLCentral ^1st9171.562—Won NLDS (Braves) 3–2 Lost NLCS (Nationals) 4–0Mike Shildt (MOY)2020MLBNLCentral2nd ¤3028.5173 Lost NLWC (Padres) 2–12021MLBNLCentral2nd ¤9072.5565 Lost NLWC (Dodgers)2022MLBNLCentral ^1st9369.574—Lost NLWC (Phillies) 2–0Paul Goldschmidt (MVP)2023MLBNLCentral5th7191.438212024MLBNLCentral2nd8379.512102025MLBNLCentral4th7884.481192026MLBNLCentral5th7785.47526

All-time records Totals Wins Losses Win %781432 American Association regular season record (1882–1891)1621 American Association post-season record (1882–1891)10,660 10,139 National League regular season record (1892–2026)134128 MLB post-season record (1892–2026)11,441 10,571 All-time regular season record (1882–2026)150 149 All-time post-season record (1882–2026)11,591 10,720 All-time regular and post-season record (1882–2026)

Record by decade The following table describes the Cardinals' regular season MLB win–loss record by decade.

Decade Wins Losses Pct 1880s 618 323 .657 1890s 563 816 .408 1900s 580 888 .395 1910s 652 830 .440 1920s 822 712 .536 1930s 869 665 .566 1940s 960 580 .623 1950s 776 763 .504 1960s 884 718 .552 1970s 800 813 .496 1980s 825 734 .529 1990s 758 794 .488 2000s 913 706 .564 2010s 899 721 .555 2020s 522 508 .507All-time 11,44110,571 These statistics are from Baseball-Reference.com's St. Louis Cardinals History & Encyclopedia, and are current through the 2026 season.

Postseason record by year The Cardinals have made the postseason thirty-two times in their history, with the first being in 1926 and the most recent being in 2022.