The 2018 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 137th for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB), a franchise in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the 127th season for the Cardinals in the National League (NL), and their 13th at Busch Stadium III.
Forbes ranked the Cardinals as the seventh-highest valued team of the 30 teams in 2017 for its $1.9 billion valuation (+6%), with a $319 million revenue, and $40 million operating income. The Cardinals also had baseball's second-highest local television rating, averaging 7.18 on FS Midwest. On September 29, the Dodgers beat the Giants, keeping the Cardinals out of the playoffs for a third consecutive season, a first since 1997–1999.
Until 2023, the 2018 season was the last season that the Cardinals missed the playoffs.
Off-season
Overview
Busch Stadium update
The Cardinals removed several sections of seats in right field and began construction on a new mingling area like the ones at Coors Field (Colorado Rockies), and Petco Park (San Diego Padres). The area will have bars and open spaces from which to watch games, and it will be open to all fans at the ballpark. The Cardinals sold ticket subscriptions this past year, and such a mix zone in the ballpark would be a place to go for standing-room only. The area is scheduled to open with the 2018 season. The new space will be called Budweiser Terrace, renovating a area that cost the club 1,000 seats from six sections on the fourth level. In their place, they will be adding two full-service bars, standing areas, and lounge seating from which fans can still view the full playing field. This area will be used by live bands/DJs and for outdoor games, Cardinals Theme Ticket events and other pregame performances. Seating and lounge areas in the Budweiser Terrace will be available to fans on a first-come, first-served basis and will not require a special ticket for access. The renovations are scheduled to be completed ahead of the Cardinals' 2018 home opener on April 5. The website is: http://www.cardinals.com/budweiserterrace.
Injuries
Adam Wainwright was scheduled to undergo elbow surgery on October 3, 2017, for a bone bruise there; he will have a piece of cartilage shaved down. Doctors said he will need six weeks of recovery before beginning rehabilitation. He last pitched two innings in relief on September 23, 2017, before the Cardinals shut him down for the remainder of 2017. He finished the season 12–5 with a 5.11 ERA. Only eight of his 23 starts registered as quality.
Coaching staff changes
The Cardinals wasted no time making changes to personnel after the October 1, 2017, end to that frustrating baseball season with a third-place finish, their lowest since 2008. Pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and bullpen coach Blaise Ilsley were told on October 3, 2017, they would not be retained for the 2018 season. John Mozeliak, President of Baseball Operations noted that the organization would like to employ a pitching coach who is more willing to utilize advanced metrics and data compiled by the baseball operations staff. The Cardinals were among a growing number of teams to utilize an eight-man bullpen for the majority of the season, a move that came out of a league wide trend of starters not pitching as deeply into games. That has made in-game pitching decisions more complex and increasingly data driven. After posting a Major-League low 2.94 ERA in 2015, the Cardinals' team ERA jumped to 4.08 in 2016, and 4.01 in 2017. Those represented the club's highest season ERAs since Matheny took over as manager. Mozeliak said he expects the rest of manager Mike Matheny's staff to return in 2018. The exception to that is Ron "Pop" Warner, who stepped in as "quality control coach" when the organization underwent a midseason 2017 staff shakeup. Warner is likely to return to his previous role of assistant field coordinator. Bench coach for the past three seasons, David Bell, left the team on October 20, 2017, to become the vice president of player development for the San Francisco Giants.