Biggest plays in St. Louis Cardinals history

Major League Baseball history is built on moments — swings, pitches, and split-second plays that reshaped seasons and, in some cases, entire franchises. From walk-off home runs in winner-take-all games to clutch hits under October pressure, the biggest plays often came when the stakes were highest. Stacker identified the most impactful plays in St. Louis Cardinals history using data from Stathead. Plays were ranked by their Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA), a metric that measures how much a single play changed a team's odds of winning the World Series.

#10. October 16, 1985 (NLCS Gm 6)
- Score: down 5-4 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: LAD
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep LF); W. McGee Scores; O. Smith Scores
- cWPA: 19.83%

#9. October 27, 2011 (WS Gm 6)
- Score: tied 9-9 (11th inning, 0 outs)
- Opponent: TEX
- Event: HR
- Play Description: *WALK-OFF*:Home Run (Fly Ball)
- cWPA: 20.19%

#8. October 28, 2011 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 2-0 (1st inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: TEX
- Event: 2B
- Play Description: Double to LF (Line Drive); A. Pujols Scores; L. Berkman Scores
- cWPA: 20.32%

#7. October 19, 2006 (NLCS Gm 7)
- Score: tied 1-1 (9th inning, 1 out)
- Opponent: NYM
- Event: HR
- Play Description: Home Run (Fly Ball); S. Rolen Scores
- cWPA: 20.71%

#6. October 20, 1985 (WS Gm 2)
- Score: down 2-1 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: KC
- Event: 2B
- Play Description: Double to LF (Line Drive to LF Line); J. Clark Scores; T. Landrum Scores; C. Cedeño Scores
- cWPA: 21.22%

#5. October 15, 1946 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 4-3 (9th inning, 1 out)
- Opponent: BOS
- Event: Out
- Play Description: Foul Popfly: 1B
- cWPA: 21.25%

#4. October 27, 2011 (WS Gm 6)
- Score: down 9-8 (10th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: TEX
- Event: 1B
- Play Description: Single to CF (Line Drive); J. Jay Scores; A. Pujols to 3B
- cWPA: 25.42%

#3. October 20, 1982 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: down 3-1 (6th inning, 1 out)
- Opponent: MIL
- Event: 1B
- Play Description: Single to CF (CF-RF); O. Smith Scores; L. Smith Scores; M. Ramsey to 3B
- cWPA: 27.42%

#2. October 27, 2011 (WS Gm 6)
- Score: down 7-5 (9th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: TEX
- Event: 3B
- Play Description: Triple to RF (Fly Ball); A. Pujols Scores; L. Berkman Scores
- cWPA: 29.08%

#1. October 15, 1946 (WS Gm 7)
- Score: tied 3-3 (8th inning, 2 outs)
- Opponent: BOS
- Event: 2B
- Play Description: Double to CF (Line Drive to LF-CF); E. Slaughter Scores
- cWPA: 31.95%