The majority of current St. Louis Cardinals have never appeared in a playoff game before. Is that a big deal? Should fans be concerned?
No, and no.
“Playoff experience … (is) absolutely necessary in the postseason,” wrote Danny Vietti of cbssports.com on Aug. 30, a prevalent point of view that is pure poppycock. Multiple studies have shown no evidence that past postseason exposure predicts future playoff success.
“The idea that postseason experience confers some sort of advantage on a player or team is not supported by the data,” countered Russell A. Carleton of baseballprospectus.