A Cardinals trio led by “pitcher who rakes” Adam Wainwright and pitcher-turned-slugger Rick Ankiel advanced to the finals of the Home Run Derby X tournament with wins Saturday night against teams representing the rival Cubs and Yankees in Des Moines, Iowa.
On his 44th birthday, Wainwright also took home the MVP award for his role in launching the Cardinals team into the finals Sept. 19-20 in Salt Lake City.
Former Cardinals pitching phenom and outfielder Ankiel joined Wainwright on the Cardinals team with Taylor Shumaker, Florida Gators star outfielder and 2025 NFCA Freshman of the Year.
Wainwright led off the Cardinals’ duel against the Cubs with 13 home runs, outslugging former Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, who has previously won a Home Run Derby X event. Wainwright and Ankiel also had some catches at the wall on defense to add to their score, per MLB.com reporter Michael Clair.
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Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby X, or HRDX, is a three-on-three, 30-minute game that rewards players for, yes, home runs, but also defensive feats. Points are given for pitches hit out of the park and catches within the park.
Arrieta and Cubs teammate Ben Zobrist followed Wainwright’s 21-point opening with 16 points, and that appeared to close the gap when Ankiel had a 12-point debut for the HRDX. But Shumaker’s 16-point round offered welcome insurance.
“It went how the rivalry always goes,” Ankiel told MLB.com. “Cardinals win.”
Against the Yankees team that featured Nick Swisher, Wainwright led off again and scored 20 points on 12 home runs. Ankiel rebounded from the semifinal and crushed 21 points. Swisher failed to run down the Cardinals in his swings as Wainwright’s team advanced with a 68-67 victory.
Wainwright, who retired shortly after winning his 200th game in 2023, has filled this summer with a cameo appearance for the Savannah Bananas at Busch Stadium, concerts featuring original music from his album, and broadcasting games for Fox Sports.
He also continues to text tips to young Cardinals pitchers.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold joined columnist Jeff Gordon to discuss the pitching gap between the Pirates and Cardinals.
Derrick Goold | Post-Dispatch
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The catcher hit .351 in August, with five homers and a .684 slugging percentage after an adjustment to his swing.
Pallante struck out six, showed he can tease hitters out of the zone with spin but also walked four.
Cardinals batters struck out 15 times, including 10 times from the bottom four spots in the lineup, and could not catch Cincinnati in the standings with a 7-4 loss.
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