As a late-round draft pick who rose from NCAA Division II baseball to become a middle-of-the-order power threat, first baseman Matt Adams made his everlasting mark in Cardinals postseason history when he hit a three-run, game-winning homer off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to send the Cardinals to the NLCS.
Born August 31, 1988, in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, Adams did not emerge from a traditional baseball hotbed and drew limited recruiting attention coming out of Philipsburg-Osceola High School in Centre County. He instead enrolled at Slippery Rock University, where he flourished.
A three-time first-team All–Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, Adams earned Division II National Player of the Year honors in 2009 while setting school records in batting average (.453) and slugging percentage (.746). He left Slippery Rock as one of the most decorated players in program history, embracing an underdog identity that would define his professional climb.
The Cardinals selected Adams in the 23rd round of the 2009 MLB Draft—699th overall—and immediately saw more than just raw power. At every minor-league stop he produced, culminating in a breakout 2011 season at Double-A Springfield, where he hit .300 with 32 home runs and 101 RBIs to earn Texas League MVP and Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year honors.
That same summer, Adams devoted himself to improving defensively, spending countless afternoons refining his footwork around first base to quiet doubts about whether he could handle the position at the major-league level.
He reached St. Louis on May 20, 2012, just months after Albert Pujols departed in free agency. Adams went 2-for-4 in his debut and homered six days later, though an elbow injury shortened his rookie season. By 2013, ironically nicknamed “Big City” for his imposing 6-foot-3 frame and rural upbringing, Adams had carved out a meaningful role. He finished his rookie campaign with 17 home runs in only 296 at-bats and supplied a pivotal October swing in the NLDS against Pittsburgh, crushing a three-run homer that helped propel the Cardinals toward another National League pennant.
With roster changes opening everyday at-bats in 2014, Adams stepped into a larger role and delivered. That summer showcased not only his power, but his knack for producing when margins were thin. From June 13–16, he became the first Cardinal since Ozzie Smith in 1988 to drive in the game-winning run in four consecutive games, homering three times against Washington pitching before snapping a tie with an RBI single against the Mets. The streak demonstrated that Adams was a hitter who repeatedly answered high-leverage moments.
That theme reached its peak in October.
In Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cardinals trailed 2–0 entering the seventh inning. On the mound stood Clayton Kershaw, the reigning National League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, working on three days’ rest and in command. St. Louis had managed only one hit through six innings before two softly struck balls deflected off Dodgers infielders’ gloves to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.
Adams stepped in carrying a modest track record against left-handed pitching. On Kershaw’s second pitch, however, the Dodgers ace hung a curveball that lacked its usual bite. Adams did not square it perfectly, but he got just enough, lifting a three-run homer into the Cardinals’ bullpen in right-center field. Busch Stadium erupted as one swing flipped elimination into celebration. Rookie Marco Gonzales earned the win, Trevor Rosenthal closed it out, and St. Louis advanced to its fourth consecutive National League Championship Series. The homer remains one of the defining postseason moments of the decade and the most iconic swing of Adams’ Cardinals career.
Injuries and roster dynamics later reshaped Adams’ time in St. Louis. A torn quadriceps limited him in 2015, though he rebounded with 27 home runs in 2016. Heading into 2017, everyday opportunities disappeared when the club shifted personnel, and on May 20, 2017, the Cardinals traded Adams and cash considerations to the Atlanta Braves for teenage prospect Juan Yepez. The move gave Adams a chance to play regularly, something St. Louis could no longer provide.
He made the most of it, thriving in Atlanta before signing with the Washington Nationals, where he became part of their 2019 World Series championship club. What followed reflected the winding path of a veteran slugger determined to keep playing: additional big-league stops, Triple-A, independent ball, and eventually the Mexican League, where Adams spent the summer of 2024 commuting across the border to play for Toros de Tijuana while still chasing one last return to the majors.
Across parts of 10 major league seasons, Adams appeared in 856 games, compiling 624 hits, 118 home runs, 399 RBIs, and 297 runs scored, while finishing with a .258 batting average, .306 on-base percentage, and .463 slugging percentage (.769 OPS).
To provide additional context, Adams spent much of his career in platoon roles, pinch-hitting assignments, or part-time duty, yet still produced nearly 120 home runs. Of those, 59 came as a Cardinal, and all four of his postseason home runs were hit wearing the birds on the bat – none larger than the three-run blast off Kershaw. His ability to change games with one swing defined his value, particularly for a player who rarely enjoyed uninterrupted, everyday at-bats.
After a 15-year professional career that included 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, Adams announced his retirement in September 2024. Living in St. Louis since 2016, he reached out to Cardinals leadership with a simple request: to retire where it all began. The organization arranged a ceremonial one-day contract, allowing Adams to close his playing career as a Cardinal.
Standing again at Busch Stadium, Adams reflected on a journey that carried him from a small Pennsylvania town to baseball’s biggest stages.
“This Wednesday, I’ll be back at Busch Stadium, where it all started—the place that made me ‘Big City,’” Adams said in his retirement announcement. “Surrounded by family, friends, and the organization that believed in me—the big kid from Slippery Rock, an underdog from Philipsburg, PA—I have the honor of retiring a St. Louis Cardinal.”
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