From 2007-2022, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina were the starting battery for the St. Louis Cardinals in 328 regular season games. That’s an all-time MLB record. Molina is now retired and clearly doesn’t think that Wainwright and his new catcher will be able to surpass that record.
Replacing Molina behind the plate in St. Louis will be Willson Contreras. The Cardinals signed the three-time All-Star backstop away from their rivals, the Chicago Cubs. Wainwright shared on Friday that he asked Molina what chance he and Contreras had of getting to 329, thereby surpassing Wainwright and Molina’s mark. The response? “Zero.”
Baseball fans loved the exchange between the longtime teammates.
Wainwright is coming off of a strong 2022 season for the Cardinals. He pitched 191.2 innings over 32 starts, posting a 3.71 ERA with a 1.283 WHIP and 143 strikeouts. Of course, Wainwright is also 41. And if pitches to Contreras at the same rate he pitched to Molina, Wainwright would be somewhere in his mid-50s when he and Contreras get to 329 starts together. So, it’s probably not happening.
Wainwright and Molina broke the record that was previously held by Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan, teammates on the Detroit Tigers in the 1960s and 70s. Lolich and Freehan made 324 starts together.
[Adam Wainwright on Twitter]
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