[1] Early in the season, the Cardinals navigated around the loss of key players Chris Carpenter, Jason Motte, Rafael Furcal and Jaime García due to season-ending injuries.

Starter Adam Wainwright accumulated a franchise-record 34+2⁄3 innings (IP) before issuing his first walk on April 23 and earned NL Pitcher of the Month honors in June.

First baseman Allen Craig produced the third-highest individual batting average with runners in scoring position at .454 as the Cardinals set an all-time Major League team record at .330.

Second baseman Matt Carpenter, playing his first season at the position since turning professional, earned an All-Star selection as he led the Major Leagues in hits (199), runs scored (126), and doubles (55).

[3] Holding off fierce competition from the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals clinched the division crown as each team won at least 90 games.

Rookie Michael Wacha, who had nearly no-hit the Washington Nationals late in September, continued his dominance throughout the postseason as he allowed no runs against the Dodgers in 13 IP, earning the NLCS MVP.

[28] Less than a week later, Carpenter announced he would not travel to the club's spring training site in Jupiter, Florida and instead remain in St. Louis, fearing he could be a distraction.

Long held over by visa problems in his native Dominican Republic, Carlos Martínez was finally granted reentry into the United States in the last week of March, and joined the minor league camp in Jupiter, Florida.

The #3 prospect in the Cardinals' system ended the 2012 season in Double-A (Springfield), where he posted a 2.90 ERA and held opponents to a .237 batting average in 15 games (14 starts).

With shortstop Rafael Furcal's elbow (strained ulnar collateral ligament) cutting short his 2012 season, rest was thought to be the best option rather than surgery.

[18] After an 18-inning tryout and an .828 OPS in 340 PAs as a rookie in 2012, utility player Matt Carpenter was advised to continue working out at second in the offseason, and was nominated for the regular job after spring.

[46] Starter Lance Lynn reported to camp forty pounds lighter than in 2012, but ironically struggled to find his command as he attempted to pitch using a "new body.

Thanks to a strong spring at the plate, former Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year Matt Adams made the team as a pinch-hitter and backup at first base.

He started the season in the minors to allow "his development ... to be playing every day ... to handle the day-to-day rigors of the major league schedule", according to Mozeliak.

However, it was not without challenges: the rest of the division played also very competitively, with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds each finished the month within one game of the Cardinals.

On May 3, closer Jason Motte's prognosis showed no improvement and he underwent season-ending Tommy John (elbow ligament) reconstructive surgery the next week.

On May 10, Shelby Miller continued his excellent season by throwing a one-hit, no-run, masterpiece at home in just his eighth career start, defeating the Colorado Rockies 3–0.

With no other blemishes in his "near-perfect" game, Miller struck out a career-high 13, tying the Cardinals' rookie record held by Dick Hughes (1967), and Scipio Spinks (1972) in his first complete-game shutout in the majors and most distinguished start since his début in September 2012.

David Freese, shaking off a 91 at-bat homerless slump, hit a grand slam for his first home run of the season in the first inning of a 7–6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on May 17.

Rookie pitchers played a key role the first two months of the season, bailing out the pitching staff beset with numerous injuries and ineffectiveness.

[81] Although not saddled with the loss, rookie starter Michael Wacha, 21, in his major-league debut lost the chance for a win after dazzling the fans and television audience in retiring the first 13 batters he faced.

On June 13, Adam Wainwright became the first MLB pitcher in 2013 to win 10 games, pitching seven scoreless innings as the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 2–1 at Citi Field.

Richard Justice, a columnist for MLB.com, wrote on June 14, the Cardinals have the 11th-highest payroll, but enjoy its best record (43–23 .652 with a 3+1⁄2-game lead), with the 11th–1st difference indicating in a nutshell why the club has a great baseball organization.

Pitcher Adam Wainwright (11–5, 2.36 ERA, 120 H, 3 HR, 13 BB, 117 K in 18 GS, 133.2 IP) was picked by the fans, leading the NL in innings pitched.

On August 16, Kolten Wong, the number 4 top prospect in the organization, arrived from AAA-Memphis, and was immediately placed sixth in the lineup playing his second base position against the Cubs.

[108] With his NL-leading 15th win on August 23 (at home), he struck out nine Braves giving him 1,090 strikeouts, passing teammate Chris Carpenter for third place.

The team will employ a broadcasting rotation of Al Hrabosky, Rick Horton, and Mike Claiborne to join his regular co-broadcaster John Rooney until then.

Adam Wainwright struck out eight batters in the September 7 game at home against the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates for 1,103 strikeouts in his career, passing Dizzy Dean (1,095) for second place among Cardinals' pitchers.

[136] The club previously lost their ace (Chris Carpenter), their shortstop (Rafael Furcal), and their closer (Jason Motte) before Opening Day, plus two more starting pitchers in May and then cleanup hitter Craig, who has the majors highest batting average (.454) with runners in scoring position.

[144] FSMW hired former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds to replace former pitcher Cal Eldred as the primary analyst for pregame and postgame shows.