The St. Louis Cardinals are Major League Baseball’s model organization.
This past season, the Cardinals won the National League Central with 97 wins and advanced to the playoffs for the 10th time since 2000. While they came up two wins shy of capturing the 12th championship in franchise history, it did mark their fourth trip to the Fall Classic in the last 10 years.
However, not every organization can be run as brilliantly from top to bottom as the Cardinals; many clubs struggle to simply field a competitive team in the major leagues, let alone a farm system with talent at every level.
Specifically, the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers are two teams that have failed to contend on a yearly basis due to poor player evaluation and a tentative feel for the market.
Here’s a breakdown of why both organizations have struggled in the past and how they can improve moving forward.