Paul Goldschmidt made a ballsy prediction before Cardinals hot streak, and it might come true

The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping to rebound in 2024 following one of their worst seasons in recent memory in 2023. St. Louis won just 71 games and looked overmatched in just about all facets of the game.

Their hopes could not have gotten off to a worse start. After losing each of the first three games in a crucial four-game series against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals were 15-24 and nine games out of the division lead. Fans were already coming up with mock trades, shipping key players like Paul Goldschmidt, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado elsewhere.

The Cardinals were in desperate need of a win in that final game of the Brewers series, but it wasn't looking good. They were trailing 3-1 and then their manager, Oli Marmol, got himself ejected from the game. That ejection must've sparked something, as St. Louis won that game in comeback fashion and Paul Goldschmidt sent a text to Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright saying that they'd win the division. Keep in mind that St. Louis was eight games out of first place after that win. Ballsy.

Paul Goldschmidt makes boldest possible prediction before Cardinals hot streak

Even after that big win, any argument that suggested St. Louis would make a run at the division title likely would've been laughed at, and for good reason. They were eight games under .500 and hadn't shown any consistently strong play really since 2022.

All the Cardinals have done since that win, though, is continue to win. The Cardinals have won nine of their last 12 games entering play on Tuesday to get to 25-27 on the year. They're now 5.5 games out of first place in the division. All of a sudden it does feel somewhat possible.

A big reason why St. Louis has turned things around has to do with Paul Goldschmidt. The former MVP looked like a shell of himself for much of this season but has really turned it on as of late, and the Cardinals' offense has started to string some strong games together as a result.

There's still a lot more work for the Cardinals to do, but on paper, this team has the talent to at least challenge Milwaukee. Their lineup has several big names that have underperformed. Their rotation has an ace, Sonny Gray, followed by several veterans who might have some big starts in them. Their bullpen has been their saving grace all year. It's not impossible.

If they're able to pull it off after Goldschmidt's prediction, that just makes for an amazing story.