Dream St. Louis Cardinals lineup for the 2026 season

Batting sixth, rookie JJ Wetherholt

This is really where this dream lineup takes off. The Cardinals likely won't add a starting position player from the outside of the organization, so promoting from within is where they'll find true change and a difference maker.

Clearly, this dream lineup is without future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado. There's a strong likelihood that Arenado is traded this winter; this opens up playing time for top prospect JJ Wetherholt to make his mark.

JJ Wetherholt is a top prospect in all of baseball, and he looks to be the real deal. In 62 games at Double-A Springfield last year, Wetherholt slashed .300/.425/.466 with 22 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs. JJ also stole 14 bases and walked (44 times) more than he struck out (40 times). He was promoted about halfway through the season, and he turned it up a notch with the Memphis Redbirds.

At Triple-A, Wetherholt slashed .314/.416/.562 with 10 home runs and fourteen doubles. He swiped nine bags. It's clear that the highest level of minor league pitching wasn't a problem for Wetherholt. While pushing him to the majors next year may be slightly premature, seeing what he can do against the best in baseball will be intriguing.

Several other players from the 2024 draft have debuted including Cam Smith, Trey Yesavage, and Jac Caglianone. Wetherholt hitting sixth gives him some reprieve as a rookie, and having him on the Opening Day lineup will be fun and exciting, something this fanbase and team need.

If Chaim Bloom wants to prioritize the long term, keeping Wetherholt down until mid-April to protect his rookie status feels likely. However, it would be fun to see JJ Wetherholt start the year with the big-league squad. A strong showing in spring training could force management's hand, especially if Nolan Arenado is traded and Nolan Gorman struggles.