Will Adam Wainwright make the Hall of Fame? A look at the career of the returning Cardinals legend

It was almost a storybook season for the St. Louis Cardinals as club legends Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, and Yadier Molina were reunited and looked primed for a deep postseason run. However, not all stories have happy endings.

The Cardinals looked like one of the best teams in the National League throughout the 2022 regular season, finishing with a record of 93-69, winning the NL Central Division in the process. However, their overall record forced the Cards to play a Wild Card series against Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The best-of-three series would not go in the Cardinals' favor, falling 2-0 to the eventual World Series participant. Upon losing in the Wild Card round, the franchise's attention shifted to the offseason and what will happen to some of their aging players.

While Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina are already committed to retirement, what becomes of star pitcher Adam Wainwright remains a question for St. Louis fans. Reports on Wednesday, October 26th, say that Wainwright will return to the Cardinals for his 19th MLB season with the club, as he continues to chase his 200th career win.

"Adam Wainwright will return for his 19th season with the #STLCards in 2023" - St. Louis Cardinals

At 41-years-old, Adam Wainwright's statistics suggest no signs of slowing down. During the 2022 regular season, 'Waino' finished with a record of 11-12 and 3.71 ERA in 191.2 innings, while also racking up 143 strikeouts.

Even if he is able to reach the 200 win threshold, will Wainwright find himself enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

This is a question that has been frequently raised throughout the season as the Cardinals' 'Big Three' (Pujols, Wainwright, Molina) were constantly praised by St. Louis fans. While Pujols and Molina are guaranteed to enter the Hall of Fame, Wainwright's case is a tricky one to say the least.

Wainwright has certainly had a long and successful career, but has it been enough to warrant enshirement in the Hall of Fame? His 195 career wins have him tied for 132nd all-time, and his career strikeouts currently have him sitting 71st all-time. While these numbers are impressive, they may not be enough to convince voters that Adam Wainwright is a Hall of Famer.

"Adam Wainwright is going to have such an interesting Hall of Fame case once he retires." - Connor Looker

Throughout his career, Wainwright has won a World Series and has been selected to the All-Star game three times. While he has never won a Cy Young Award, he was in the top 3 on four occasions. This will undoubtedly hurt Wainwright's bid for the Hall of Fame. While a Cy Young Award does not guarantee entry, it certainly helps.

Unless Adam Wainwright continues to play for a few more seasons and perform at an elite level, the Hall of Fame may elude him, though he will certainly find his name on the voting ballot when eligible.

How Adam Wainwright became a Cardinal

While it seems impossible to envision it now, Wainwright was not always a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. The starting pitcher, who will enter his 19th season with the Cards, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

"We made a trade...16 years ago today to acquire Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis, and Ray King from Atlanta!" - St. Louis Cardinals

He was traded to St. Louis in 2003 from the Braves in a deal that saw outfielder J.D. Drew move to Atlanta. While Drew was a fine player throughout his career, he would only spend the 2004 season with the Braves. What a different story we could be telling about 'Waino' had he stayed in Atlanta.

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