Here's the Cardinals' Spring Breakout roster (Thurs., 3:30 p.m. CT)

JUPITER, Fla. -- Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals’ president of baseball operations, has fortified the organization with promising prospects and most of them will be playing in the Spring Breakout game against the Nationals on Thursday, in which St. Louis legend Adam Wainwright will serve as a coach on the team with Jason Isringhausen taking on the role of skipper for the day.

Keep in mind that St. Louis’ Major League team is getting younger, so don’t be surprised if you see some of those young studs taking the field on Thursday make an impact at Busch Stadium this year.

What is Spring Breakout?

In 2026, MLB Spring Breakout will again be a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future -- the current stars of Minor League Baseball – in 16 exhibition games played between teams composed of each MLB organization’s top prospects. The third edition will be held from March 19-22 at Grapefruit and Cactus League stadiums during Spring Training.

In 2027, Spring Breakout will be expanded into a single-elimination tournament format, with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues.

When is the Cardinals’ game?

Following the big league game, which starts 12:05 p.m. CT, the young bucks from the Cardinals will face the Nationals’ prospects at 3:30 p.m. CT at Roger Dean Stadium.

How can I tune in?

MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App, Gameday

Notable position players

Once the Cardinals traded Brendan Donovan to the Mariners this offseason, it left an opening for JJ Wetherholt, the top-ranked player in the Cardinals’ system, to become the Opening Day second baseman. So far, Wetherholt is showing that he has a good eye at the plate, walking six times in 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action. This will mark Wetherholt’s second appearance in the Spring Breakout game. He went hitless in two at-bats against the Marlins last year.

Infielder Blaze Jordan, the No. 27 prospect in the organization, was acquired from the Red Sox in the Steven Matz trade last summer. He can play both corner infield spots, but he must show he can be consistent in the batter’s box. After joining the organization, Jordan struggled with a slash line of .198/.242/.366 for Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals are hoping that Jordan can develop power and start driving in runs.

Notable pitchers

The organization's first-round selection in the 2025 Draft, Liam Doyle, made two starts after getting selected by the Cardinals and tossed 3 2/3 professional innings with six strikeouts between Single-A and Double-A. The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year out of Tennessee comes with a lot of intensity on the mound, and he'll get the chance to show why he might be the next fast riser through St. Louis' system.

Doyle's teammate with the Vols, Tanner Franklin, was selected with the No. 72 overall pick last year by the Cardinals. The 6-foot-5, hard-throwing right-hander was a high-leverage reliever in college and is armed with a fastball that flashes 102 mph. St. Louis is hoping he can hold his stuff well enough to be a starter long term and through three pro starts with the organization he's shown early signs of dominance in the role.

Roster details

Spring Breakout rosters were constructed in two phases in 2026. Clubs initially submit preliminary 40-man player pools on Thursday, March 5, which were then be pared down to the official rosters on March 18. The rosters were assembled using MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Prospects lists plus additional prospects submitted by the club.

Gameday Roster (Cardinals Top 30 Prospects list):

PITCHERS (8)
Tyler Bradt, RHP, NR
Mason Burns, RHP, NR
Liam Doyle, LHP, No. 2/MLB No. 34
Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, No. 13
Tanner Franklin, RHP, No. 11
Jovi Galvez, RHP, NR
Jason Savacool, RHP, NR
Michael Watson, LHP, NR

CATCHERS (3)
Leonardo Bernal, C, No. 6/MLB No. 98
Ryan Campos, C, NR
Rainiel Rodriguez, C, No. 3/MLB No. 37

INFIELDERS (10)
Jesús Baéz, INF, No. 20
Jalin Flores, INF, NR
Jon Jon Gazdar, INF, NR
Jack Gurevitch, 1B, No. 30
Blaze Jordan, 1B/3B, No. 27
Josh Kross, 1B/C, NR
Noah Mendlinger, UTIL, NR
Deniel Ortiz, 3B/1B, No. 24
Yairo Padilla, SS, No. 16
JJ Wetherholt, INF, No. 1/MLB No. 5

OUTFIELDERS (5)
Joshua Baez, OF, No. 4/MLB No. 87
Colton Ledbetter, OF, NR
Zach Levenson, OF, NR
Ryan Mitchell, OF/INF, No. 12
Tai Peete, OF, No. 18

Coaching staff

Manager: Jason Isringhausen
Bench Coach: Ethan Goforth
3rd Base Coach: Fray Peniche
1st Base Coach: Luis Arenado
Hitting Coach: Brock Hammit
Hitting Coach: Mike Habas
Pitching Coach: Michael Oh
Bullpen Coach: Evan Johnson
Athletic Trainer: Kily Gilbert
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Sergio Jimenez
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Panagiotis Roxanas
Baseball Technology Associate: Michelle McMillan
Guest Coach: Adam Wainwright