JUPITER, Fla. -- There is a vibe in Cardinals camp that can’t be ignored. It’s positive energy that makes the players and coaching staff believe they will win more than they will lose in 2026. That has been the case during the exhibition season. Entering Tuesday's action against the Mets, the Cardinals are 9-6.
The team is a lot younger. Cardinals Nation will see a newcomer like JJ Wetherholt make his mark on offense, while opposing hitters are expected to have problems with right-hander Michael McGreevy. Gone are veterans like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray.
“The theme of camp is, there are a lot of young guys getting the opportunity to elevate themselves as leaders in the clubhouse and their game on the field,” said bench coach Daniel Descalso. “It has been taking advantage of your opportunities. Knowing that we are young, we are not going to have it all figured out right away. But we will approach every day with a high standard and a high attention to detail. We’ll make adjustments as we go.”
Manager Oliver Marmol made it known recently he is looking forward to managing a much younger group, led by Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson.
“You look at some of the names on the roster [when I first arrived as a manager]. It was a veteran group,” Marmol acknowledged. “What I can say is, I’m more excited about this upcoming year than any other year that I’ve been part of this organization. A lot of it has to do with the guys in that clubhouse. You actually get to build it with them. … In the couple of weeks we have been in Spring Training, you are starting to see the guys step up the way they have. Man, it fires me up. That’s what gets me up every morning. It’s being able to see it through.”
It’s a little over two weeks before Opening Day comes around, so we're taking a look at how the Cardinals' roster might shake out by the time they face the Rays on March 26 at Busch Stadium. Remember, this could change within the next two weeks.
Catchers (3): Pedro Pagés, Iván Herrera, Yohel Pozo
The Cardinals are going with a veteran group behind the plate and defense is the top priority: That means Pagés will get most of the playing time. Last season, his game-calling skills helped St. Louis pitchers collect nine shutouts, which was fourth in the National League. He also finished third among National League catchers in defensive bWAR (1.5)
Pozo is having a great spring with the bat, but he will likely be second on the depth chart when the regular season starts. In his short time with St. Louis, Pozo had a slash line of .231/.262/.375 in a reserve role in 2025.
Herrera is third on the depth chart, but that's because he will see a lot of action as the designated hitter. He was arguably St. Louis’ best hitter in ‘25, leading the Cardinals in on-base percentage (.373), slugging (.464) and OPS (.837). He hasn’t played recently because of knee inflammation, but is expected to be back in action later in the week.
Infielders (6): Alec Burleson, José Fermín, Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt, Ramón Urías, Masyn Winn
It’s the worst-kept secret in baseball, but Wetherholt, the No. 5 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will be Winn’s double-play partner to start the regular season -- barring injury. Wetherholt has proven this spring that he can handle the bat. Entering Tuesday’s action, he had a spring slash line of .278/.480/.611 and was tied for the team lead in RBIs with six.
Burleson is set at first base and believes one day he will be a slugger in The Show, hitting 30 homers and driving in 100 runs.
Third base is another matter. Gorman is a slugger, but he hasn’t been consistent in the batter’s box this spring. He is 3-for-22 (.136) and two of those hits were home runs. That was the problem last year as well. If Gorman doesn’t find the consistency at the plate, look for Urías to take over the role. Urías is a better defender (remember, he won the American League Gold Glove at third base in 2022) and has occasional power.
Outfielders (4): Nathan Church, Victor Scott II, Nelson Velázquez, Jordan Walker
For now, Scott and Walker appear to be set in center and right field, respectively. But the question is, who will be the Opening Day left fielder? It looks like Lars Nootbaar will start the season on the injured list because he is still recovering from surgery to both heels.
While he is hitting and fielding his position, Nootbaar has yet to run the bases. With a little more than two weeks to go before the regular season starts, Marmol needs someone to fill Nootbaar’s shoes. Thus far, the Cardinals have used 13 left fielders this spring -- from Velázquez to Chase Davis to José Fermín. As of Tuesday, the job is still up for grabs.
It would be nice if the Cardinals could find someone like Nootbaar, who has the ability to draw walks -- since 2021, Nootbaar ranks 16th in walk percentage (12.8%) -- and also drive the baseball. Nootbaar is one of four Cardinals all-time with double-digit career homer totals from all three outfield positions, joining Stan Musial, Wally Moon and Randal Grichuk.
Rotation (5): Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante
Liberatore believes this current Cardinals rotation is better than last year’s squad, which had a 4.67 ERA. It helps that the current starting staff has been consistent this spring.
“The potential is certainly there,” Liberatore said. “Beng able to watch D. May and … seeing Andre lining up his curveball and McGreevy doing his thing, too, I think we have the potential of being a good pitching staff.”
Liberatore most likely will be the Opening Day starter, while May will pitch the second game of the season against Tampa Bay. Marmol said the Cardinals are seeing the best version of Pallante this year because he is executing his pitches and recording a lot of outs. It appears the five pitches that he throws, including the four-seamer and slider, are in midseason form.
After being a productive reliever last year, Leahy finds himself in the rotation. While his spring ERA was not impressive early, he was showing strikeout stuff. McGreevy had a nice rookie season, and it has carried over into Spring Training.
Bullpen (8): Justin Bruihl, Luis Gastelum, Riley O’Brien, Gordon Graceffo, JoJo Romero, George Soriano, Ryne Stanek, Matt Svanson
Romero is the likely closer with O’Brien, Stanek and Svanson in the setup role. For now, the rest of the relief corps is just a guess. The club made it clear that it wants Stanek to do more than get outs in high-leverage situations; he must be a positive influence for the young relievers, which includes Graceffo, Chris Roycroft and Svanson.
That all leaves us with this as a tentative Opening Day lineup:
- Winn, SS
- Wetherholt, 2B
- Herrera, DH
- Burleson, 1B
- Gorman, 3B
- Velázquez, LF
- Walker, RF
- Pagés, C
- Scott II, CF
Liberatore, SP