It’s the moment all of St. Louis has been waiting for since October 15th. The 38-year-old veteran Adam Wainwright will return for the 2020 season for possibly one last ride with his battery mate Yadier Molina.

Making his Major League debut on September 11, 2005, Wainwright will be heading into his 16th season as of 2020 — only Bob Gibson (17 years, 1959-1975) and Jesse Haines (18 years, 1920-1937) have more seasons with the organization.

Wainwright will enter next season ranked fourth all-time among Cardinals in wins (162), 2nd in strikeouts (1,776) and 6th in innings pitched (2,103.2). The two-time World Series Champion (2006 and 2011) and three-time All-Star (2010, 2013, 2014) ranks 8th among active pitchers in wins, 14th in strikeouts and 9th in ERA (3.39), despite missing time due to injuries in 2011, 2015 and 2018.

The first pitcher in Cardinals history since Pete Alexander with 16 wins at the age of 41 to post 14+ wins at the age of 38 or older. First in the majors since Mets’ iconic Bartolo Colon at age 43 with 15 wins.

The 6’7″ right handed pitcher ended his 2019 season with an ERA of 4.19, a WAR of 2.1, and with a 14-10 win-loss record. His last appearance with the team was on October 15th during the devastating loss in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Washington Nationals. Waino came out of the bullpen to relieve starter Dakota Hudson in the first inning.

Waino is married to his high school sweetheart Jenny, the two recently shared a wedding anniversary. The two have four daughters and one son. Wainwright is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a devote Christian. He was a speaker during Busch Stadium’s Christian Day 2019, where he smooth talked his way into getting Daniel Ponce de Leon to admit he loved him back.

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