If you’re new to baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals, here are five recent fan favorites from the 2022 season you should know about before opening day.
Albert Pujols
There were mixed emotions among fans anticipating the return of Albert Pujols for the 2022 season. Pujols was a Cardinals fan favorite during the early 2000s. With his incredible skills as a first baseman and batter, Cardinals fans were in awe each time he stepped on the field.
Pujols won two World Series Championships with the Cardinals. After winning in 2011, he signed with two other teams. No matter the distance, Pujols found his way back to St. Louis in 2022 for one final ride.
Albert Pujols’s farewell is among the top moments from a historic 2022 MLB season. He surpassed 700 home runs in the entirety of his regular-season career! This record-breaking season for Pujols was the perfect sendoff to retirement that the fans adored.
Yadier Molina
A loyal player who has always been behind the plate is catcher Yadier Molina. He also retired at the end of the 2022 season. After making his MLB debut in 2004 with St. Louis, Molina made the city his home until the end of his baseball career.
The record of 325 starts for a pitcher-catcher battery was set in 1975, but Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright surpassed the record, ending their season with 328 games started. In addition to breaking that record, Molina acquired nine Rawlings Gold Glove awards and is considered one of the best defensive catchers of all time.
Adam Wainwright
Speaking of pitcher Adam Wainwright, you can’t think about the Cardinals without him! Wainwright is a consistent and skillful pitcher who threw to Yadier Molina for 18 seasons. Although the duo is no-more, Wainwright is present and ready for another successful season with the team. Wainwright adores his fans, and the fans love him right back for all he’s done for the St. Louis Cardinals and the community.
Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt is more than just a Cardinals first baseman. As a six-time All-Star with three Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger Awards, Goldschmidt is an essential puzzle piece to the Cardinals. He consistently plays offensively, with a batting average of .295 to end the season. Fans never get tired of seeing Goldschmidt step up to the plate for his next at-bat.
Nolan Arenado
This list of St. Louis Cardinals 2022 fan favorites wouldn’t be complete without Nolan Arenado. After starting his career with the Colorado Rockies, Arenado joined the Cardinals for the 2021 season as the team’s third baseman. His quick reflexes and accuracy make him a player that the fans will idolize and help the Cardinals create a new path for the future of their organization.
