Adam Wainwright chose to return for one more season following a September meltdown that caused him to lose his spot in the starting rotation for the postseason.
However, it appears that the issues that plagued him last September have persisted.
Today, Wainwright topped out at just 86 mph in pitch velocity.
He threw three innings and allowed three runs against the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.
His fastball topped out at just 84 mph.
The exit velocities on some of his pitches might give St. Louis Cardinals fans some pause as well.
On Twitter, Katie Woo posted a chart that showed the pitch and exit velocities from Wainwright’s start today.
Deleted a previous tweet about Adam Wainwright’s PV and EV today because the statcast numbers were slightly off. Here’s the updated chart with the correct numbers. pic.twitter.com/M7BhEyk9RT
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 2, 2023
This is concerning if you’re a Cardinals fan.
It isn’t time to panic just yet, but the veteran right-hander’s velocity has dropped significantly since last August.
He was hit in the knee with a come-backer in a game against the Atlanta Braves, which threw off his delivery and his mechanics.
Clearly, the same issues are plaguing the righty.
The average exit velocity on his sinker was 100.3 MPH, and the average exit velocity on his curveball was 104.7 MPH.
Meanwhile, the average velocity on each of his pitches has decreased significantly since last season, and it’s something the Cardinals might want to keep on eye on this spring.
This will be Wainwright’s final season in the big leagues, but Cardinals fans are hoping that he can end things on a positive note instead of continuing this downward trend.
The 41-year-old will now depart spring camp and join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
NEXT: St. Louis News Station Continues Opening Day Countdown
