Cardinals: Adam Wainwright opens up on relationship with Yadier Molina

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright recently opened up on relationship with Yadier Molina and … woof. Cardinals fans are going to miss these two.

For almost two decades, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina have formed what is perhaps baseball’s best pitcher-catcher combo. They are on pace to break the record for most games played by battery mates and have been the driving force behind the St. Louis Cardinals’ sustained period of success.

Naturally, Wainwright and Molina have become very close. And when discussing their relationship with MLB.com, Wainwright said: “He has been more than a friend and teammate to me. He has been a brother to me. The guy I have gotten so close with. How fortunate am I to throw to the best defensive catcher of all time my entire career?”

Wainwright was then asked if he had imagined life without Molina.

“I don’t want to imagine life without him. I never even thought about it. He’s my catcher, man.”

If that doesn’t hit you in the feels, I don’t know what will. Their relationship clearly means a lot to both of them and is a significant reason why the combination has been so effective for so long. In 17 seasons, Wainwright has made 366 starts, won 189 games, posted a 3.34 ERA and a 2040/659 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2422.2 innings. Molina has caught 351 of those starts.

It’s also why Wainwright has been so effective even in his age 38-40 seasons. In 2020, he posted a 3.15 ERA in 65.2 innings in a COVID-19 shortened season. In 2021, he followed that up by posting a 3.05 ERA in 206.1 innings. So far in 2022, he has been even better, posting a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings and keeping a Cardinals rotation together that has been without Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz.

This will be the last season Wainwright and Molina play, barring a drastic change in thinking, and they are seemingly breaking records or reaching milestones in every start. They started their journey together and will ride off into the sunset as arguably the best battery mates in baseball history.

And they will do so as best friends, too, and have a lifetime to go.