This agonizingly close contest could have changed it all for a Cardinals hurler

Few Major League Baseball teams can rival the history and legacy of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team has Hall of Fame players littered throughout its history and even more multi-time All-Stars who have fallen just short of induction. The Cardinals rotation in 2009 consisted of two players who are likely to fall into the latter category. Chris Carpenter received only .5% of the vote in 2018 and subsequently dropped off of the ballot in his first year of eligibility, and it seems unlikely that the Veterans Committee will make a push for him to enter baseball's most hallowed grounds.

As for the other pitcher, one season might have made all the difference between a plaque in Cooperstown and a pat on the back along with a silver ticket into the "Hall of Very Good."

The 2009 Cy Young Award outcome could have robbed Adam Wainwright of a spot in the Hall of Fame.

The National League Cy Young Award competition in 2009 was among the closest in semi-recent memory. Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants eked out the victory that year, earning 11 first-place votes and and 100 points in the voting, where each first-place vote gave a player five points, a second-place vote gave him three, and a third-place vote gave him one. Carpenter nipped at Lincecum's heels, with 94 points, and Wainwright finished third, with 90, although he received the most first-place votes, receiving 12 as opposed to Lincecum's 11.

2009 was somewhat of a transitional period in award voting, with some voters preferring traditional statistics and others taking a more modern view. Lincecum led the trio in WAR, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts and strikeout percentage; Carpenter finished with the best ERA, ERA+ and walk percentage; and Wainwright had the most games started, innings pitched and wins.

From a 2026 perspective, there could be ample debate about whether Lincecum or Carpenter deserved the award, whereas Wainwright falls a bit by the wayside. But in 2009, where wins were still looked upon with some favor and Wainwright held strong numbers in other categories as well, one doesn't have to squint much to see Wainwright carrying home the hardware had there been less of a split between the traditional and analytical voters.

Wainwright boasts plenty of accolades: three All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, a 20-win season in 2014 and a Clemente Award to top it all off, but a Cy Young Award proved elusive for the Cardinals' longtime ace. Wainwright finished second in Cy Young voting in 2010 and 2013, although those were landslide victories by Roy Halladay and Clayton Kershaw, respectively, and he finished third in 2014 behind Kershaw and Johnny Cueto.

Wainwright's first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame will be 2029, but the general opinion appears to be that he will be on the outside looking in, and it's far from a guarantee that he will be inducted in future years. But had 2009 shaken out a bit differently, with less of a divide between voters, Wainwright could have that missing Cy Young Award sitting on his mantel and a much easier path into an eternal place with baseball's legends.