Adam Wainwright

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #6 prospect in 2006
  Wainwright came to the Cardinals in the J.D. Drew trade before the 2004 season and continued his steady ascent through the minors in 2005, earning a September callup. He led the Pacific Coast League in innings, as well as hits allowed and wild pitches (12). After battling an elbow strain in 2004, Wainwright was a workhorse in 2005 and dominated early in the season. His fastball is solid-average and sometimes better than that, running up to 93 mph with good sink. He has a good feel for a changeup, and it may have become his second-best pitch ahead of his curveball and slider. He did a better job of pitching downhill in 2005. Wainwright struggled when he got away from working off his fastball. He has a hard time putting hitters away when his breaking pitches aren't on. His slider gets flat and his curveball gets slow too often for his own good. Wainwright is ready for a big league opportunity, but it may have to come in the bullpen because Anthony Reyes is ahead of him. He still projects as a starter down the road.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #2 prospect in 2005
  Wainwright was the Braves' best pitching prospect when they sent him to the Cardinals in the J.D. Drew deal in December 2003. He jumped to Triple-A but never showed his best stuff, trying to pitch through an elbow strain before getting shut down. He came back healthy, pitching 10 innings in the Arizona Fall League, and is expected to be at full strength for spring training. The Cardinals were impressed with Wainwright in spring training last year, the only time he really showed his full arsenal: a 92-93 mph fastball, a curveball with good rotation and a solid changeup. The curve may be his best pitch. He has a long, loose arm and great makeup, which may have worked against him as he tried to grind through his pain. Wainwright went on a strengthening program when he was hurt in an effort to make both his body and his arm stronger. In spite of his above-average stuff, he never has dominated hitters for long stretches. He needs to trust his stuff more. Wainwright's upside is nearly the equal of Anthony Reyes'. They should both be in the Triple-A rotation to start the season.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #2 prospect in 2004
  Wainwright was the top pitching prospect in a deep Braves organization and provides a needed boost to the Cardinals after being the key player in the J.D. Drew trade. In his first season in Double-A, he overcame five straight losses at midseason to go 5-1, 2.14 in his final seven starts and rank 10th in the Southern League in ERA. Wainwright has an ideal combination of size, talent and makeup. He started working off his 92-93 mph fastball more often at midseason and the positive results were immediate. He also throws a hard curveball and a solid changeup, and he mixes his pitches and throws strikes well. He has a great work ethic and is one of the most intelligent pitchers in the minors. Wainwright needs to continue to gain confidence and trust his stuff. He tends to be too fine with his pitches instead of challenging hitters. He also needs to get his body stronger so he'll have better durability throughout the season and late into games. It was encouraging that Wainwright finished the season stronger than he started. He's still maturing and learning his craft and will continue to do so at Triple-A Memphis in 2004.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #1 prospect in 2003
  The 29th overall pick in the 2000 draft, Wainwright has lived up to the Braves' early projections. He was the strikeout leader in the high Class A Carolina League--where managers rated him the league's No. 3 prospect--and earned a spot in the Futures Game last season. Since signing, he has been ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and No. 1 in the Rookie-level Appalachian and low Class A South Atlantic leagues. In 2001, he set a Macon record and led the SAL with 184 strikeouts. Few pitchers are more projectable than Wainwright. His tall body and loose arm action should allow him to add velocity as he continues to mature and develop. He reached 96 mph during the Futures Game and sat in the 90-93 mph range last season at Myrtle Beach. His fastball, rated the best in the Carolina League by managers, has outstanding movement and frequently fools hitters. Wainwright is nearly as successful with his hard curveball, though he has yet to master consistency and feel with it. He also throws strikes with his solid changeup. Wainwright has an excellent mound presence and can be intimidating with his downward angle to the plate. He works both sides of the dish well and has a solid idea of what he wants to accomplish with every pitch. Wainwright needs to get stronger and improve his stamina by intensifying his offseason conditioning. He has faded in the past two seasons. He went 8-3, 2.24 during the first four months of the 2002 season before going 1-3, 6.32 in his final seven starts. While he has ranked among the minor league leaders in strikeouts the last two years, Wainwright could be more aggressive in the strike zone. With his lanky body, he has difficulty repeating his delivery, resulting in a loss of control and rhythm. His over-the-top delivery gives hitters a good view of the ball, so he needs to add deception. Wainwright has the ingredients to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, but the Braves don't want to rush him. His ETA in Atlanta is 2004, and he should spend most of 2003 at Double-A Greenville. If Wainwright continues to perform as he has, though, he could force Atlanta's hand.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #2 prospect in 2002
  Wainwright learned valuable lessons in his first full season, getting off to a strong start before struggling for the first time in his career. He did break the Class A Macon single-season record for strikeouts, previously held by Bruce Chen. At 6-foot-6, Wainwright should develop into a strong pitcher with an intimidating presence on the mound. His low- 90s fastball with good movement is his best pitch, and his curveball and changeup are close to being plus offerings. The Braves were encouraged about how he went from a thrower to a pitcher over the course of the year, learning about the art of getting hitters out even as the organization altered Wainwright's delivery and mechanics in 2001. Because he's still growing into his tall frame, he can become inconsistent with his release point, though his command has been solid to this point. He also needs to add stamina. Wainwright could use more experience, too, so that he becomes savvier in certain aspects of the game. Atlanta is in no hurry to push Wainwright. He'll open 2002 at Myrtle Beach and should spend most of the year making adjustments against Carolina League hitters.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #7 prospect in 2001
  The Braves targeted Wainwright throughout the spring as the 29th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He breezed through the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before receiving a promotion to the Appalachian League after seven starts. He left no doubt why he was a first-rounder, ranking as the Appy League's top prospect and second-best in the GCL. For a teenager, Wainwright's overall command and ability to throw strikes with his changeup is uncanny. He's mature and competitive. In addition to a plus changeup, Wainwright features a low-90s fastball and an average curveball. His maturity can overshadow his inexperience against professional hitters. He wore down in late August and must improve his strength in order to pitch at a high level for a full season. Added strength should add velocity to his four-seam fastball. The progress Wainwright made last season will enable him to open 2001 at Macon. The Braves say that finding the right place to challenge Wainwright at this point in his career could be the most difficult decision.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #13 prospect in 2003
  Wainwright entered the season as Atlanta's No. 1 prospect and fronted another prospect-laden Braves minor league rotation. Greenville righthander Bubba Nelson made the Top 20 as well, while righties Brett Evert and closer Billy Sylvester also received some support. Wainwright merits the most attention because of his combination of size (6-foot-6), durability and stuff. While managers didn't necessarily see him as a future ace, they acknowledged Wainwright is good now and has plenty of projectability left. His key could be tightening his big, slow curveball, which wouldn't fool as many hitters in the majors as it did in Double-A. Wainwright uses his height (6-foot-6) to throw his fastball on a good downhill plane, usually in the 88-91 mph range. His ability to keep the fastball down in the zone helped him yield just nine home runs and is integral to his success. He also has good feel for his changeup. "I really liked him because he has a feel for what he's doing," Carolina manager Tracy Woodson said. "The fastball can be pretty straight, but he's going to throw harder and it looks even better against his slow curve. He just needs to tighten that curve a bit, but he throws a lot of quality strikes with those pitches."
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  Ranked Carolina League #3 prospect in 2002
  Wainwright hit 96 mph at the Futures Game, but he worked in the upper 80s nearly as much as he sat in the low 90s for Myrtle Beach. He still got lot of mileage out of his fastball, with the tremendous movement on the pitch fooling hitters. Wainwright, whose arsenal also includes a solid curveball and changeup, led the league in strikeouts despite fading in August. He went 8-3, 2.24 in the season's first four months, then dropped to 1-3, 6.32 over his final seven starts. He'll need to get stronger and pitch more aggressively in the strike zone, though he maintained his mound presence and composure even as he struggled. "He has a great breaking ball," Kinston manager Ted Kubiak said. "He throws well and goes straight over the top. My guys say they can see the ball well from him. Last year everyone kind of raved about him and I didn't see it, but he was better this year. I'm starting to see it."
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #3 prospect in 2001
  Managers named Wainwright, not Bonser, the league's best pitching prospect in Baseball America's midseason Best Tools survey, but Wainwright looked a bit tired down the stretch and lost some velocity. No worry. He didn't turn 20 until late August. Wainwright, like Bonser a 2000 first-rounder, continues to make impressively rapid progress. His fastball works in the low 90s and his 6-foot-7 frame seems to add extra buckle to batters' knees. So do his outstanding changeup, an improving curve and obvious polish. Wainwright likes the gamesmanship and competition, and he looks like a No. 1 starter. He needs to add weight and stamina. "He has a great body and knows how to pitch," Lakewood manager Greg Legg said. "He needs to learn how to pitch inside a little more but with such a good delivery, that shouldn't be a problem." Hayes compared Wainwright to highly regarded Giants prospect Kurt Ainsworth. "Great extension, great movement on the ball," Hayes said. "He's simply able to strike people out."
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #2 prospect in 2000
  Wainwright was picked seventh among the eight first-round picks who played in the Gulf Coast League this year, but clearly left the strongest impression on managers. He lasted just seven starts before being promoted to the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he was voted that league's No. 1 prospect. "He was the No. 1 kid in our division, by far," said Marlins manager Kevin Boles, son of Florida skipper John Boles. "He had outstanding stuff for a high school player, with a loose, free arm action." Wainwright's fastball topped out at 94 mph, and he had good command of his curve. He showed excellent poise for his age and attacked hitters aggressively.
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  Ranked National League #1 prospect in 2000
  The first of four Atlanta first-round picks, Wainwright spent the first half of the season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before arriving in Danville. He easily could have skipped the GCL. Wainwright, who also ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the GCL, showed great command of both his low-90s fastball and curveball, not walking a batter until his fourth Appalachian League start. He also throws a good changeup. He has great size and projects to add velocity as he fills out. Wainwright came on strong late in the high school season and never slowed down all summer. "He has the best two pitches in the league, with that fastball and curve," Bluefield manager Duffy Dyer said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #49 prospect in 2004
• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2003
• Ranked Baseball America's #42 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #97 prospect in 2001

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  The first of four Atlanta first-round picks, Wainwright spent the first half of the season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before arriving in Danville. He easily could have skipped the GCL. Wainwright, who also ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the GCL, showed great command of both his low-90s fastball and curveball, not walking a batter until his fourth Appalachian League start. He also throws a good changeup. He has great size and projects to add velocity as he fills out. Wainwright came on strong late in the high school season and never slowed down all summer. "He has the best two pitches in the league, with that fastball and curve," Bluefield manager Duffy Dyer said.
• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Wainwright was picked seventh among the eight first-round picks who played in the Gulf Coast League this year, but clearly left the strongest impression on managers. He lasted just seven starts before being promoted to the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he was voted that league's No. 1 prospect. "He was the No. 1 kid in our division, by far," said Marlins manager Kevin Boles, son of Florida skipper John Boles. "He had outstanding stuff for a high school player, with a loose, free arm action." Wainwright's fastball topped out at 94 mph, and he had good command of his curve. He showed excellent poise for his age and attacked hitters aggressively.