It’s pretty obvious the one thing the 2015 St. Louis Cardinals were missing was an ace to bolster the front-end of the rotation. They had that man in Adam Wainwright, but a ruptured Achilles kept him out for most of the season. Now he’s healthy and is the key for the Cardinals’ success in 2016.

In four of the past six seasons Wainwright has finished in the top three of the National League Cy Young voting. When healthy, he’s a legitimate ace in any rotation. The key this year will be whether or not he return to his old form after throwing just 28 innings all of last year.

Michael Wacha had a great 2015 season and made his first trip to the All-Star Game, but this is still Waino’s team. Wacha has yet to prove that he can be a dependable pitcher in the playoffs, and that’s why it’s imperative that Wainwright return to form.

The Cardinals can still be one of baseball’s best teams and can reach the postseason with the help of a healthy Wainwright. What they lacked in 2015 was a Game 1 starter that can set the tone for the series.

With the Chicago Cubs offseason moves many are predicting them to win the National League Central, which means the Cardinals could be forced to play a one-game playoff. That’s when it becomes even more necessary to have a guy like Wainwright.

We know the Cardinals can win during the regular season, but they need to once again prove that they are a force during the playoffs as well.

In 2013 they lost in the World Series. Then in 2014 they lost in the NLCS, and last year they lost in the division round. So the Cardinals are going the wrong way.

If they are going to start moving in the right direction this year and re-establish their dominance in the postseason then Wainwright has to become that Cy Young candidate again atop the Cardinals rotation.