Adam Wainwright explains where things went wrong at end of season
Sep 30, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) looks on from the dugout during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Wainwright did not pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in their NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and the veteran took to Twitter on Wednesday in an attempt to explain why.
Wainwright lost his final three starts of the regular season. The 41-year-old posted the first losing record of his career in 2022, and he initially said he was struggling with “dead arm” down the stretch. In a series of tweets, the right-hander revealed that there was a lot more to it than that.
Wainwright said his issues began when Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley hit a come-backer off Wainwright’s knee on Aug. 28. The pitcher said the length of his stride got shorter after that since he was dealing with discomfort, but he did not realize it right away.
That had never been a problem for me in the past. My stride length has always been very consistent. Because my timing was so badly off, my front arm started to try and create power by pulling. And when that happens you just pull yourself off target.
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) October 12, 2022
I didn't stay diligent enough with my film work to catch it immediately. It wasn't something I had struggled with before. The zip and crispness to my stuff returned as soon as we locked in on the problem. What I was attributing to dead arm was an awful delivery.
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) October 12, 2022
The end of the season should have been way different for me, and who knows what happens if I'm sharp down the stretch. I feel terrible about it. Y'all deserved better. My team deserved better. I owed an explanation… so there you go. Go @Cardinals
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) October 12, 2022
Wainwright said he mistakenly attributed his “awful delivery” to dead arm. Once he realized what the issue was, he felt like his stuff returned to form. He never got a chance to prove it in the postseason, as the Cardinals were swept by the Phillies.
Though he has yet to commit to pitching in 2023, Wainwright still seems to have plenty to offer. He went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts this season. His biggest issues came over his final six starts, but it sounds like he knows what the problem was.