For the better part of the last decade, the balance of power has been shifting in the NL Central.
After a ridiculous 16-year streak to open up the century -- one which included 10 division titles and four World Series appearances (two championships) -- the St. Louis Cardinals have mostly been playing second-fiddle to their chief rivals.
Starting with the 2015 NLDS loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals have only won the division twice in the last 10 years, and they made the playoffs just four times (in each year from 2019-22). In fact, they've only won one playoff series in that span, back in 2019 in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.