Adam Wainwright Defends Cardinals Fans After Barstool Rant

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright makes a rehab appearance with the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Wainwright threw 59 pitches over 3 innings. Tsgf Cards00338 USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Adam Wainwright Defends Cardinals Fans After Barstool Rant

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Jul 17, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals are an organization with a deep tradition. They have won 11 World Series titles and 19 National League pennants and have also had some legendary players come through the organization.

Being one of the baseball's premier organizations never comes without a little jealousy though. Earlier this week, after Jordan Walker won the Home Run Derby, Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports had some harsh criticism for the Cardinals organization, their fans, and even Busch Stadium itself.

On Thursday, franchise legend and two-time World Series champion Adam Wainwright responded to Walker's rant and came to the defense of the Cardinals.

"I played there for 18 years. Whatever you think in this Barstool world that you live in over there, you guys don't know the fanbase better than I do. I don't care what you say," Wainwright said. "Cardinal fans are not walking around saying 'we're the best fans in baseball.' They got that label because they are the best fans in baseball."

Felt like the the @Cardinals were getting lots of support from fans clapping back but to take it a step further I wanted to chime in as somebody who played there for a long time and experienced highs and lows with the organization and fan base. Go @Cardinals https://t.co/SxJcdsMZfX pic.twitter.com/wEporPgEKd
— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) July 16, 2026

Adam Wainwright defends Cardinals fans after Barstool rant

USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Wainwright played his entire career in St. Louis, but also had the chance to play in front of a lot of other fanbases during over the years. He knows better than almost anyone what kind of fanbase the Cardinals have.

He experienced the highs and lows for several years and was a big part of the organization's success from the time he made his debut in 2005 to his final at-bat in 2023. But he also took notice of how engaged in the games Cardinals fans truly are as opposed to other fanbases.

"You go to most stadiums and they're having a party," Wainwright continued. "Cardinal fans are watching the game."

Wainwright can attest to the vibes in St. Louis being different from other stadiums. He got to pitch in front of sellout crowds during the postseason and even achieved some great milestones of his own along with Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols. But the common denominator is that the fanbase was always engaged.

Wainwright saw the fanbase at its best for several years. And though fans grew weary after three straight years of missing the postseason, that doesn't change the fact that they are still fully engaged in the game when they are at the stadium on a hot summer night.

We'll see if Walker claps back at Wainwright, but the future Cardinals' Hall of Famer's arguments are much stronger given his history with the fanbase and the city.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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