Cardinals Opening Day roster prediction one week into spring training games

One week into spring training action, the St. Louis Cardinals have displayed a variety of players and prospects in their game action, many of whom are fighting for spots on the Cardinals' 26-man roster.

Most years, there's a pretty clear outlook on who will be on the team and in what roles, but this year, there are quite a few roster spots and starting gigs up for grabs, with players who could either be starting on Opening Day in St. Louis or find themselves in Memphis. That makes for a wide range of outcomes, lending to a fun exercise in trying to predict who makes the Opening Day roster.

Even since my first prediction of the Opening Day roster when camp opened, there have been a number of things that have happened that have shaken up my original prediction. We broke down all different kinds of scenarios over on the Dealin' the Cards podcast this week, but here is my Opening Day roster prediction one week into spring training games.

Catchers (3) - Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and Yohel Pozo

The catcher position is going to be one of the most debated battles of camp. Ivan Herrera will get his first game action behind the plate this spring on Sunday, and the Cardinals want to see if he can be a solution behind the plate in 2026 and hopefully beyond.

Where the Cardinals land with Herrera is going to have a major impact on the rest of the catching group and the 26-man roster as a whole, I'm predicting Herrera is at least a part of the rotation early in the year, but since he will likely still see a lot of time at designated hitter, the Cardinals will carry three catchers.

Pedro Pages was the club's primary catcher in 2025, and he'll likely keep a strong hold on the rotation for at least the beginning of the season. With a young pitching staff, there is value in having a guy like Pages command the group as often as possible. While I'd love to see Jimmy Crooks get opportunities, if he's not one of the primary two catchers, I think it may be best to start him in Memphis with Leonardo Bernal, and hopefully get him more consistent opportunities in St. Louis soon.

Now, don't be shocked if the Cardinals end up carrying all four catchers on their roster for Opening Day. I strongly considered that, as Pozo could end up being the right-handed bat off the bench who backs up Alec Burleson at first base and catches seldom. But for now, I'll have Pozo fill a similar role but catch a bit more without Crooks being on the roster.

Just missed: Jimmy Crooks