This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!
St. Louis Cardinals
Overall: 16
Title track: T6
Ownership: 13
Coaching: 60
Players: 23
Fan relations: 14
Affordability: 26
Stadium experience: 5
Bang for the buck: 67
Change from last year: -4
The Cardinal Way is still going strong, even if there are signs of transition on the horizon. The 2016 team wasn't as competitive as in seasons past, but it had a shot to reach the postseason for a sixth straight year. In part because of the team's surprising 35-43 home record, attendance near the end of the season sagged a bit, but the Cards easily cracked the 3 million mark once again. It's good to be a Cardinals fan, when even a down year means a top-20 ranking.
What's good
Most fans hope their team reaches the postseason. Under Tony La Russa and now Mike Matheny, Cardinals fans were practically guaranteed of having fun in October (a sixth-place title track is tied with perennial champs San Fran and behind only current titleholders Kansas City in MLB). Busch Stadium remains a fun (if expensive) experience (fifth overall), and the team has had so much success with its Ballpark Village that it has become a model for other teams searching for new sources of revenue and a nice experience for fans. The Cardinals remain tradition-bound, and broadcasting icon Mike Shannon is going strong in the booth, even if he decided to not travel in 2016. As long as this ownership group remains in place and general manager John Mozeliak is running the baseball side, the Cardinals figure to be contenders. Young players such as pitchers Alex Reyes and Luke Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly give fans reason to believe the pipeline will continue.
What's bad
The championship core is coming to an end. An 86-win season marked the Cards' worst record since 2010 (the last season they had missed the playoffs) and caused a dip in bang for the buck (67th, the Cards' worst showing, thanks to their above-average ticket prices). On the field, Adam Wainwright had his worst season by a lot, and Matt Holliday probably won't be back in 2017. Catcher Yadier Molina had an outstanding season, but he'll turn 35 next season and isn't going to be able to catch 140-plus games forever. The team has yet to find a core of leaders or charismatic players to take them to the next level. Stephen Piscotty did well in his first full season, as did rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz, but Randal Grichuk and Kolten Wong showed serious growing pains.
What's new
With the Rams shipping out to Los Angeles half a year earlier, you would have expected the Cardinals to have a banner September. Instead, the crowds on their final homestand were under 40,000 consistently, and that snapped a streak of 240 straight regular-season games with crowds over that mark. Was it the product of cooler, damp weather or a sign of things to come? The 2016 team's struggles at home seemed to sap some of the town's famous passion for baseball. Again, an 86-win season is no small feat, but it was manager Mike Matheny's worst showing as the Cards' boss, and fans responded by dropping him 31 spots in coaching. Perhaps young, up-and-coming players can change that in 2017, but there are no guarantees.
Next: San Francisco Giants | Full rankings