Cardinals Opening Day roster prediction as 2026 spring training gets underway

Opening Day Lineups vs. RHP/LHP

Lineup vs. RHP
1.2B JJ Wetherholt
2. SS Masyn Winn
3. 1B Alec Burleson
4. LF Ivan Herrera
5. 3B Nolan Gorman
6. RF Jordan Walker
7. DH Thomas Saggese
8. C Pedro Pages
9. CF Victor Scott II

I'm being aggressive and bold here by having JJ Wetherholt as the Cardinals' lead-off hitter, but it is very likely he bats more like sixth or seventh to ease him into a bigger role. But with how talented and confident Wetherholt is, I could totally see Oliver Marmol letting him run right away.

I personally like how this lineup flows against righties, splitting up some of the left-handed and right-handed bats to avoid tunneling issues. With Lars Nootbaar likely being out come Opening Day, I do think we could see Ivan Herrera play some left field early on in the year, but again, that's another bolder take from me.

The Cardinals really need one of Nolan Gorman or Jordan Walker to bounce back at the plate this year to lengthen their lineup. Both will be relied on early and often, and if they are struggling, this lineup just does not have enough firepower to get runs across the plate consistently.

Lineup vs. LHP
1. 2B JJ Wetherholt
2. SS Masyn Winn
3. C Ivan Herrera
4. 1B Alec Burleson
5. LF Nelson Velazquez
6. RF Jordan Walker
7. 3B Nolan Gorman
8. DH Thomas Saggese
9. CF Victor Scott II

The Cardinals' lineup against left-handed pitching will be very interesting to see. The Cardinals are going to want to give opportunities to young bats against southpaws, but they also need to be able to produce against them as well. Nelson Velazquez, Thomas Saggese, and Bryan Ramos could be big parts of that solution.

The Cardinals' catching rotation also plays a role in how these lineups could be constructed. I would imagine they'd like to get Crooks starts against righties, but factoring in all three catchers could be an adventure for Marmol.

I have Victor Scott batting ninth in both lineups, but I do see a world where he could force his way into the lead-off spot if his offensive uptick ends up being real. The Cardinals could form a really fun top of the lineup that looks something like Scott-Winn-Wetherholt-Herrera-Burleson at some point in the year.