I know you think this LACard fan but the data says you’re wrong.
The recent one from VEB the other day had the Cardinals at #6 from 2000 to 2019. The Orioles are #26. From 2014 to 2023, the Cardinals are #4. The Orioles don’t show up on his list because they are neither top 6 or bottom 6 for this timeframe. Every list I’ve seen from every angle over the last 5 years always lists the Cardinals as a top team – sometimes #1. They are really good at drafting future major league players that garner a lot of BWAR/FWAR compared to other teams. I agree they haven’t always made good choices with those players by trading some of the wrong ones away or holding onto others too long. But they are good at drafting, which was my point above.