The St. Louis Cardinals entered the quarter-season mark of 2013 with the best record in baseball.
To say that exceeds the expectations of some is quite the understatement. Many, arguably most, baseball writers had the Cincinnati Reds picked as clear favorites to win the National League Central Division.
With the Cardinals estimated to end the season in the 85-win range, the fact that the team has amassed 25 wins by May 15 puts them well above expectations.
While it is extremely early to be thinking about the end of the season, the Cardinals are currently on pace to win 100 games.
Will they keep up this pace? That remains to be seen.
Every team has its slumps and streaks—the 2013 Cardinals will be no exception. Remember, even a team with an amazing 102-win record still loses 60 games a year.
With that said, the Cardinals have a lot of things on their side in 2013—most notably, their depth.
That depth has made all of the difference in where the Cardinals find themselves in the standings in mid-May.
Following is a breakdown grading the Cardinals on each aspect of their game.
All stats gathered from MLB.com.