Last week, I did a piece talking about how Cardinals legends Adam Wainwright and Rick Ankiel were taking part in Home Run Derby X, an event in which retired MLB stars compete against each other, representing their teams and going for an ultimate prize at the end. Sure enough, hours after my article was published, MLB The Show made an announcement, that 17 players competing in Home Run Derby X would be added to this year’s game.

I found the announcement on Instagram, and in the post, Wainwright was shown swinging a bat in a Cardinals uniform, and it was confirmed that he would be one of the legends added to the game this week.

Advertisement

Well, today, it finally happens. MLB The Show did another post advertising these legends, and not only was Wainwright shown taking his hacks the plate, but other legends were listed, and Ankiel was one of the ones listed.

Ankiel began his career late in the 1999 season as a pitcher and had a breakout year on the mound the following year. After he lost command of the plate in the playoffs and later lost his spot on the Major League roster, Ankiel was forced to quit pitching and decided to make it back as a hitter. He returned in 2007 and was with the team through the 2009 season as an everyday outfielder.

Wainwright made his debut in 2005 and became a regular on the roster the following year. We all know what happened from there. After closing out all three postseason series for St. Louis en route to a championship, he became a starter and was the Cardinals’ best pitcher through the 2014 season. He and Ankiel were teammates from 2007-09.

Ankiel retired after the 2014 season, but Wainwright continued and ultimately played his whole career in St. Louis, winning 200 games in the process. Because of Home Run Derby X, Wainwright will likely also have some insane hitting abilities when he is added to the game later today, and that should be fun for Cardinals fans.

Advertisement

Ankiel was the better hitter, given that he had more experience doing so, but Wainwright was a solid hitter in his own right. Well, at least for a pitcher he was. He even won a Silver Slugger Award in 2017, before the designated hitter was added to the National League.

As a Waino superfan, that is what I’m most excited about today. Everybody knows he had a wicked curveball, and I’m excited to put that to good use when I play, but I’m most excited to use him as a hitter. After winning his 200th game, his arm couldn’t take any more, but he was given two at-bats in the Cardinals final home stand of the 2023 season. A week later, MLB The Show released a Diamond Dynasty card of Wainwright as just a hitter and gave him some outstanding abilities.

Home Run Derby X’s final round starts tonight and will last through Saturday. Wainwright and Ankiel are competing alongside University of Florida softball star Taylor Shumaker, who is quite the hitter herself. Hopefully, she and the two Cards legends can bring home a Home Run Derby X championship this weekend.

If you’ve grown tired of watching the Cardinals struggle in 2025 on the field, then this is something to look forward to. As a lifelong fan of Old Uncle Charlie, I’m super excited about this. I know this piece isn’t really newsworthy and doesn’t have anything to do with the current Cardinals, but this could serve as a nice distraction from the results on the field from the current team.