Final predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals' Opening Day Roster

My final Opening Day roster predictions for the 2023 Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals should announce their 26-man roster for the 2023 season on Sunday, and in the two or so weeks since my last Opening Day roster prediction, a lot has changed about this roster's outlook.

First, injuries to Adam Wainwright, Paul DeJong, and Wilking Rodriguez have shifted multiple roster battles in a major way, as all three players seemed to be locks for the roster the last time we checked in. Their replacements will give this Cardinals' roster a very different look for the first month of the season.

Player performances have also shifted this conversation quite a bit as well. Some prospects have turned up their game a notch, while others have not. World Baseball Classic performances have shifted the opinions on some players, while Spring Training has had its fair share of highlights and duds as well.

What is important to note about this roster prediction is we are just looking at who will be with the club on Opening Day next Thursday, not who will be on the Cardinals' roster the entirety of the year. Sometimes, roster decisions are made in part due to 40-man roster openings and the number of options a player has, which I think will cause some players to make the roster over other names for the time being. Come May or June, this roster could look significantly different. Last year, names like Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman made their debuts after just a few months of games.

Here are my final Opening Day roster prediction for the St. Louis Cardinals

Catchers

(2) - Willson Contreras and Andrew Knizner

Not much to stay here, but I did want to note how this group has performed this spring. In 13 games, Contreras has posted a .872 OPS, looking like the big bat that St. Louis is hoping he'll be this year.

Let's be completely honest, Andrew Knizner has done nothing to deserve an Opening Day roster spot. In 45 at-bats, he is slashing .111/.184/.111 with 0 HR and 1 RBI, even being outclassed by Tres Barrera defensively as well. Barrera, for his own arguement, has posted a .833 OPS, but it is important to note he has a .154 batting average and has only had 13 at-bats.

If Knizner's slow start continues in April, expect to see him designated for an assignment or optioned down in favor of Barrera or Ivan Herrera.

Just missed: Tres Barrera