Adam Wainwright, Starting Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals


Date of Birth: 8/30/1981
Birthplace: Brunswick, Georgia
Nickname: Waino

Adam Wainwright, starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was a star athlete in college, playing both football and baseball. In 2000, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves but he only played in their minor league system before being traded to the Cardinals in December, 2003. After two years in the Cardinals' minor league system, he was called up to the Cardinals to pitch in two games in 2005.

Wainwright started his major league career as a relief pitcher in 2006. That year, he played in 61 games and he had 3 saves with a 3.12 ERA. On May 24, 2006, he showed some talent with the bat, hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat.

In 2007, Wainwright became a starting pitcher for the Cardinals. He pitched 202.0 innings in 32 games and he had 14 wins to 12 losses with a .370 ERA.

Wainwright signed a four-year, $21 million contract with the Cardinals in March, 2008. That season, however, he pitched in just 20 games due to a long stint on the DL with a finger injury.

The 2009 season was Wainwright's breakout season. That year, he led the National League in wins with 19 wins in 34 games. He also won his first Gold Glove, making 29 assists and 27 putouts with no errors in 34 games.

Wainwright followed his strong 2009 season with an equally good 2010 season. That year, he had a career high 20 wins (to 11 losses) and a career low ERA of 2.42. The following year, Wainwright had Tommy John surgery and he missed the entire 2011 season.

In March, 2013, Wainwright signed a five-year, $97.5 million contract extension with the Cardinals. He again had a strong season in 2013, pitching a career high 241.2 innings in 34 games. He was tied for the most wins in the NL with 19 (to 9 losses) and he had a career high 219 strikeouts (to 35 walks) and a .294 ERA. His fielding was once more excellent and he won his second Gold Glove, making 36 assists and 25 putouts with no errors.

Wainwright finished the 2014 season with a career low ERA of 2.38. He had a 20-9 record and 179 strikeouts to 50 walks in 227.0 innings in 32 games. He didn't do nearly as well in the postseason, pitching 16.0 innings in three games and giving up 21 hits and 11 runs, including 2 home runs.

Wainwright suffered an ankle injury in 2015 that limited his playing time to just 7 games. In 2016, he pitched in 33 games and he finished the season with a 4.62 ERA. He had a 13-9 record and 161 strikeouts to 59 walks in 198.2 innings pitched.

In 2017, Wainwright pitched in 24 games and he had a 5.11 ERA. He finished the season with 12 wins and 5 losses and 96 strikeouts to 45 walks in 123.1 innings.

Wainwright won his first Silver Slugger award in 2017.

Wainwright spent most of the 2018 season on the DL, playing in just 8 games with the Cardinals. He was healthy in 2019, and he pitched in 31 games. He finished the season with 14 wins and 10 losses, 153 strikeouts to 64 walks, and a 4.19 ERA in 171.2 innings. In the postseason he pitched 16.2 innings in 3 games and he gave up 13 hits, including a home run, and 3 runs. He struck out 19 batters and walked 3, and he had a 1.62 ERA.

Wainwright became a free agent on October 31, 2019. Less than a month later, on November 12th, he re-signed with the Cardinals. He pitched in 5 games in 2020, and he finished the season with 5 wins and 3 losses, 54 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a 3.15 ERA in 65.2 innings.

Wainwright elected free agency on October 28, 2020. He re-signed with the Cardinals on January 29, 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 71 wins and 7 losses, 174 strikeouts to 50 walks, and a 3.05 ERA in 206.1 innings in 32 games. In the postseason, he pitched 5.1 innings in one game and he gave up 4 hits, including a home run, and 1 run. He struck out 5 batters and walked 2, and he had a 1.69 ERA.

Statistics for Wainwright in eleven full seasons (2007-2010, 2012-2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021) as a starting pitcher in the major leagues include:

  • 9 seasons with over 30 games, with a high of 34 in 2009 and 2013
  • 6 seasons with over 200 innings pitched, with a high of 241.2 in 2013
  • 4 seasons with over 18 wins, with a high of 20 in 2010 and 2014
  • 7 seasons with over 150 strikeouts, with a high of 219 in 2013
  • 4 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.38 in 2014

Career pitching statistics for Wainwright through 2021 include:

  • 425 games played
  • 2,375.2 innings pitched
  • 184-105 win-loss record
  • 2,004 strikeouts to 641 walks
  • 3.35 ERA

Charitable Work

Wainwright and his brother Trey started a charity called Waino's World, Inc. in 2013. It is now the Big League Impact, a foundation that works with other non-profit charitable organizations. In 2014, they raised over $450,000 for 20 non-profit organizations. More information is available at bigleagueimpact.org.

Personal Life

Wainwright married Jenny Curry in 2004. They have three daughters.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Adam Wainwright
ESPN - Adam Wainwright