Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright, born on August 30, 1981, is a distinguished baseball player renowned for his remarkable career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Selected 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2000 MLB draft, Wainwright quickly established himself as one of the Braves' top pitching prospects. However, after the 2003 season, he was traded to the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder J. D. Drew, marking the beginning of a legendary tenure.

Wainwright made his Major League Baseball debut on September 11, 2005, initially serving as a relief pitcher. The following year, he showcased his talent as a closer, notably saving the series-clinching games of both the 2006 National League Championship Series and the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. In 2007, he transitioned back to starting pitching, a role he would excel in for the remainder of his career.

Despite facing challenges, including missing the entire 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery, Wainwright emerged as an ace, consistently leading the National League in wins, innings pitched, and games started. His impressive statistics include multiple top-ten finishes in earned run average, strikeouts, and complete games. In 2014, he made history by becoming the first pitcher to achieve nine of his first eighteen starts with seven innings pitched and no runs allowed.

Throughout his illustrious career, Wainwright has secured two hundred wins, earned three All-Star selections, and received two Gold Glove Awards. He has also finished in the top three for the Cy Young Award four times. With two thousand two hundred and two career strikeouts, he ranks second in Cardinals franchise history, trailing only Bob Gibson. Wainwright's partnership with longtime teammate Yadier Molina has solidified their status as the most successful battery in Major League history.

On September 18, 2023, Wainwright achieved a significant milestone, becoming the third Cardinals pitcher to win two hundred games, joining the ranks of Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines. That same day, he also became the sixty-sixth pitcher in baseball history to surpass two thousand two hundred strikeouts, further cementing his legacy in the sport.