Having endured an emotional return to Colorado back in 2021 and now 35 years of age, Nolan Arenado felt he would be better equipped to battle through the emotions of being back at Busch Stadium on Monday night for the first time since his January trade.

However, fiery Arenado always had trouble controlling his emotions – something he would apologize for at times even though most everyone he played alongside of with the Cardinals appreciated the genuine nature of how baseball always mattered so much to the future Hall of Famer.

As expected, Arenado got an extended standing ovation from the crowd at Busch Stadium prior to his first bat. As he was doffing his cap and gesturing to the cheering fans, Arenado’s face went flush and he had to fight back tears. Those misty eyes didn’t do anything to stop his swing as the Diamondbacks third baseman drilled an Andre Pallante pitch into left-center for a second-inning single in his first time facing the club he starred with from 2021-25.

“The first three years were amazing, and I really enjoyed every bit of it, but those last two were tough,” Arenado told reporters assembled in the Diamondbacks dugout prior to Game 1 of the four-game series. “From a performance standpoint and from the team side, they were really tough. But I enjoyed every moment I had here.”

Hoping to join a team that might allow him to make a deep playoff push as he enters the final innings of a career that will someday take him to Cooperstown, Arenado waived his no-trade clause for a deal to Arizona over the offseason. Arenado overcame a slow start to the season and hit St. Louis hitting .240 with eight homers, 12 doubles and 32 RBI in 73 games.

As fate would have it, the young and rebuilding Cardinals have been one of MLB’s surprise teams in 2026 and came into Monday at 41-34 and in the top Wild Card slot in the National League. As for the D-backs, they hit St. Louis at 39-38 and one game back of the Cubs for the final Wild Card spot in the NL.

Arenado requested a trade out of Colorado in 2021 and got his wish when the Rockies sent him to the Cardinals. St. Louis lost a one-game playoff to the Dodgers that season and they dropped two straight playoff games at the end of the 2022 season, Arenado’s best with the Cardinals. That season, teammate and close friend Paul Goldschmidt won the NL’s Most Valuable Player award and legendary slugger Albert Pujols went on a stirring run to get to 703 career homers. Arenado, who hit .293 with 42 doubles, 30 homers and 103 RBI that season, finished third in the MVP race, and he admitted that he still thinks of that season often.

“I played good baseball here and I think about that ’22 season all the time,” admitted Arenado, whose Cardinals won the NL Central title before losing two straight playoff games to the Phillies. “Not just me, but Albert (Pujols) and Goldy winning the MVP – that was just such a fun year. All the guys and coaches from that team, I love them and miss them. We had a great group here and it was a special bond.”

Arenado clearly still has a special bond with the Cardinals, a club that almost assuredly will induct him into their Hall of Fame not long after he retires from the big leagues. His 118 homers hit for the Cardinals are the most by a St. Louis third baseman and seven more than National Baseball Hall of Famer Scott Rolen. The last two of Arenado’s 10 straight Gold Gloves came with the Cardinals, making him one of just seven players in MLB history with 350 homers and 10 Gold Gloves (along with Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Schmidt, Willie Mays, Al Kaline, Johnny Bench and Andruw Jones).

Always intense and hard on himself to produce, Arenado wishes now he would have been able to enjoy his time more with the Cardinals.

“That’s kind of the mistake I made,” Arenado told reporters. “If I didn’t drive the runs in, I’d feel like we’re going to lose, like it’s my fault. Stuff like that I should have never done.”

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