There is a vibe with the Cardinals 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 was the case during the exhibition season as they went 17-9.
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.”
Opening Day is Thursday, so we're taking a look at how the Cardinals' roster will look by the time they face the Rays at Busch Stadium.
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 had 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 dealt with knee inflammation this spring, but he recently got back in the lineup.
Infielders (6): Alec Burleson, José Fermín, Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, Ramón Urías, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn
Wetherholt, the No. 5 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will be Winn’s double-play partner to start the regular season. Wetherholt has been one of the Cardinals’ most patient hitters this spring, and he proved it in the Spring Breakout game against the Nationals’ prospects, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one walk. During the Grapefruit League season, Wetherholt had a slash line of .212/.386/.394 with nine walks and seven RBIs.
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 is looking to redeem himself from last year’s disaster -- both on offense and defense. 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? Lars Nootbaar is starting the season on the IL because he is still recovering from surgery to both heels. He started his running progression last week. That will likely mean that Church will get the Opening Day start. He is a great defensive outfielder. Fermín could also get time in left while facing left-handed pitching.
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 will be the Opening Day starter, while McGreevy 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. May is fully healthy for the first time since 2020, and the Cardinals feel he is worth the gamble.
Bullpen (8): Justin Bruihl, Riley O’Brien, Matt Pushard, JoJo Romero, Chris Roycroft, 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, including 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
- Walker, RF
- Church, LF
- Pagés, C
- Scott II, CF
Liberatore, SP