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Pitchers can rake! Former Cardinals hurlers lead way to dinger derby victory

Adam Wainwright was named MVP for his performance in Home Run Derby X
ByScott Plaza|
June 19, 2008; St, Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Rick Ankiel (24) follows through on a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Kansas City defeated St. Louis 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
June 19, 2008; St, Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Rick Ankiel (24) follows through on a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Kansas City defeated St. Louis 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

As Major League Baseball continues to explore ways to find and keep fans, a newer attempt at fan connection comes in the form of Home Run Derby X, which first debuted in 2022. While this format is advertised as "nonstop action," there has not been much coverage of the tour, but the St. Louis Cardinals team of alumni is apparently really good at it.

While definitely not a traditional home run derby, it is still interesting to see that the Cardinals team consisted of two former pitchers in Adam Wainwright and Rick Ankiel. Of course, Wainwright was known more for his pitching than his bat, but he did earn a Silver Slugger award, while Ankiel took a different path, needing to give up pitching in order to stick around in the league. The move paid off, as Ankiel played seven years as an outfielder, hitting 76 homers throughout his career.

Cardinals representatives heading to Home Run Derby X Finals

The three-person team consisting of Wainwright, Ankiel, and University of Florida softball stud Taylor Shumaker was facing off against the Cubs squad that had fellow pitcher Jake Arrieta, Ben Zobrist, and pro softball player Erika Piancastelli in the semifinals of the event, with the winner punching their ticket to the finals taking place in Salt Lake City in September.

The event, which took place in Des Moines, Iowa, had the Cubs taking on the Cardinals and the Yankees facing the Red Sox in thirty-minute games. Teams also get points for making defensive plays while the other team hits, and according to the Home Run Derby X Twitter account, the semifinals event was an exciting display.

The Cardinals defeated the Cubs in the first semifinal event, and the Yankees squad defeated the Red Sox, setting up a repeat of the 1964 World Series, when the Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games. With a little less to play for on a late August evening, the Cardinals beat the Bronx Bombers squad that had Nick Swisher, softball record holder Jocelyn Alo, and Savannah Bananas player Noah Bridges by a final score of 68-67. While trying to break down what these scores actually mean, the Home Run Derby X official page provides some stats for the event.

In the semifinal against the Cubs, Waino led all hitters with 21 points, including 13 homers, while Shumaker and Ankiel combined for 18 long balls. On defense, the Cardinals made 11 outs in the field. Against the Yankees, the Cardinals put up the highest score of the event, and the trio hit a total of 35 homers, with Waino and Ankiel smacking 12 apiece.

The final spot in the Salt Lake City finals will be decided on September 13, when the Royals take on the Mets and Blue Jays. The two-day finals event has a $200,000 prize pool and appears to be able to be streamed on MiLB TV.

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