St. Louis Cardinals' 5 all-time best starting pitchers

May 1974;  Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson (45) delivers a
May 1974; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson (45) delivers a | Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright's career length can be explained by his ability to know his arsenal and adapt with age. Now entering his 18th and final season in the major leagues, all with the Cardinals, Wainwright has figured out how to mitigate the effects of Father Time. He has made three All-Star teams and led the league in wins in 2009 and 2013. Although he has not won a Cy Young Award, he finished second in voting in 2010 and 2013 and finished third in 2009 and 2014.

Wainwright's career looked to be reaching an end in 2016, where he led the league in hits allowed and runs allowed, and he endured a four-year stretch where he had an ERA of 4.58. In 2020, Wainwright reshaped himself by using his sharp curveball more often and relying less on fastballs. Since 2020, his ERA has gone down to 3.34, and he led the major leagues in complete games in 2020 and 2021. Wainwright will look to finish his excellent career with a flourish in 2023.

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