St. Louis Cardinals’ Top Ten Starting Pitchers of All-Time

Oct 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (left) celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game and advancing to the NLCS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

#7 Adam Wainwright

This was a difficult decision to make, as I am trying to be conscious to who I am leaving out of this spot here. However, considering Wainwright has been apart of this team for ten seasons now, it is time to start considering Wainwright as one of the all time greats in St. Louis Cardinals’ history. Especially considering we may see a rarity in this day, seeing a starting pitcher start and finish his entire (Major League) career with the same team.

Wainwright’s first season saw him work out of the bullpen as a late innings reliever. He got his chance to start at the start of the 2007 season and showed us all that he was going to be something special, by posting a 3.7 fWAR in his first full season as a starter. For his career Wainwright is starting to get up there in all time wins (121) and fWAR (35.3), as well as sporting a very respectable 2.98 ERA for his career.

We best remember Wainwright for his brilliant 2006 postseason run as the closer of this club where he finished unblemished and saved the NLCS and WS clinching games for the Cardinals. However, the great thing about Wainwright is that he still writing his career story, and will be writing it for a few more years.

Hopefully, that includes winning his first World Series title as a starter. Unfortunately, Wainwright’s career numbers don’t suggest that he will be making the Hall of Fame, but Wainwright most certainly could see his number retired and receive that red jacket as a member of the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame.

Next: Steve Carlton