Best St. Louis Cardinals Teams of All Time

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in baseball, with a history of winning that dates back to the late 19th century. Even with all that success, the team has only won more than 100 games 9 times (which is 3rd most behind the Yankees and Dodgers).

Below are the top 15 winningest seasons in franchise history. Note that the 1880s teams played shorter seasons, but their dominance remains statistically staggering. It should also be noted that the amazing 2011 World Series Championship team won 90 games, but had a lower winning percentage than these 15 seasons. More on that below.

Top 15 Winningest Seasons in Franchise History

Rank	Year	Wins	Record	Win %	Postseason Result
1	1942	106	106-48	.688	World Series Champions
2	1943	105	105-49	.682	Lost World Series
3	1944	105	105-49	.682	World Series Champions
4	2004	105	105-57	.648	Lost World Series
5	1931	101	101-53	.656	World Series Champions
6	1967	101	101-60	.627	World Series Champions
7	1985	101	101-61	.623	Lost World Series
8	2005	100	100-62	.617	Lost NLCS
9	2015	100	100-62	.617	Lost NLDS
10	1946	98	98-58	.628	World Series Champions
11	2013	97	97-65	.599	Lost World Series
12	1964	93	93-69	.574	World Series Champions
13	1987	92	92-70	.568	Lost World Series
14	2002	97	97-65	.599	Lost NLCS
15	1926	89	89-65	.578	World Series Champions

The Special 2011 Season

The 2011 season is legendary because of the “Greatest Comeback in Baseball History.” In late August, the Cardinals trailed the Braves by 10.5 games for the Wild Card spot but charged back to clinch it on the final day. The team finished with 90 wins, but that was just enough.

The magic peaked in World Series Game 6. Down to their final strike twice, St. Louis was saved by David Freese’s iconic triple and walk-off home run. This resilience defined the “Happy Flight” era, as they overcame multiple elimination games to win the franchise’s 11th title. It was a perfect, cinematic farewell for manager Tony La Russa.

I still get chills watching this…