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The St. Louis Cardinals have hovered around the .500 mark for much of the 2025 season, but a certain franchise legend believes the team’s best baseball is still ahead. In a recent segment on MLB Network, Adam Wainwright — a two-time World Series champion pitcher — made a bold statement about the Cardinals playoff chances, insisting his former club will be in the thick of the MLB Wild Card race by season’s end.
The clip, later posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), showed Wainwright delivering his prediction with confidence. In the video shared by MLB Network, he made it clear he still has faith in the current roster.
“@UncleCharlie50 thinks the Cardinals will be playing for a Wild Card spot late in September
The former St. Louis ace explains his thought process and chimes in on Jordan Walker putting it together as of late.”
.@UncleCharlie50 thinks the Cardinals will be playing for a Wild Card spot late in September 👀
The former St. Louis ace explains his thought process and chimes in on Jordan Walker putting it together as of late. pic.twitter.com/7ZtC4WM7wW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 12, 2025
Few voices in baseball hold as much sway in St. Louis as Wainwright’s. Across 18 seasons with the Cardinals, the right-hander posted a 200-128 record, a 3.53 ERA, and more than 2,200 strikeouts. He collected three All-Star nods, two Gold Gloves, and was a pivotal figure in the franchise’s 2006 and 2011 World Series championships. Having navigated multiple high-pressure playoff chases, the former Cards pitcher’s belief in this roster’s ability to mount a late-season surge carries significant weight with both fans and players.
At 61-59, the club enters Tuesday just a few games shy of the final Wild Card spot, trailing the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. Wainwright cited a favorable upcoming schedule — featuring series against the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Pittsburgh Pirates — as a key reason for his belief. He also pointed to Jordan Walker’s recent offensive surge as a potential catalyst, noting the young outfielder’s improved plate discipline and growing power. St. Louis has won six of its last ten games, steadily chipping away at the deficit in the standings. A strong closing stretch could echo the franchise’s memorable 2011 push, when they overtook the Atlanta Braves in the final weeks, secured a Wild Card berth, and rode that momentum all the way to a World Series title.
While the two-time World Series champion optimism resonates with the fanbase, the projections remain far more cautious. A shaky 26-34 road record has been a glaring concern, and the team will likely need to win at least 25 of its final 42 games to remain in serious contention.
Even so, the schedule leaves room for late-season intrigue. The year wraps up with a series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, which could turn into a winner-take-all showdown for the final Wild Card spot if Wainwright’s vision comes to life.
The 43-year-old’s remarks have sparked renewed energy among Cardinals fans, providing a hopeful counterpoint to the numbers-driven outlooks. With the MLB Wild Card race heating up, the next month will reveal whether his faith in this roster is justified — and whether St. Louis can craft another storybook finish.
