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JJ Wetherholt had a memorable MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals, and ended up receiving a gift afterwards.
The St. Louis Cardinals opened the 2026 season with a bang, battling back from a 7-1 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays by a final score of 9-7. St. Louis opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning when top prospect and National League Rookie of the Year candidate JJ Wetherholt hit a solo home run for his first major league hit.
Wetherholt also tied the game at seven with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth before Alec Burleson hit the go-ahead home run.
After the game, Wetherholt was sent to manager Oli Marmol’s office, where he met with Marmol, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who presented his teammate with a gift.
“It’s not every day you get your first show homer, so I want to personally congratulate you on getting that first one,” Nootbaar said. “First hit, first RBI, first homer.”
A lot of firsts in one ball!
JJ Wetherholt receives Gift After Opening Day Home Run
Wetherholt made the opening day roster out of spring training for St. Louis. The Cardinals drafted him with the seventh pick in 2024, and he has quickly risen through the Cardinals’ farm system.
Now, he has the chance to become a force at the top of the Cardinals’ lineup, as well as the player that they can build around in the future. The Cardinals have not developed a true superstar since the days of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, but they have a chance to finally do that with Wetherholt.
His opening day performance was one to remember, as he hit his first home run and played a key role in the sixth-inning comeback against the Rays’ bullpen. He has a chance to be a truly special player in the next few years as long as he can stay healthy and become a consistent run producer.
If Thursday’s game was any indication, then the future is certainly bright for the young slugger, and the Cardinals may finally have somebody that they can build around as they focus on the future.
After making several trades this offseason, the Cardinals don’t have that type of player just yet, but Wetherholt has a chance to become that in the next few years. This is an exciting development for Cardinals fans, and there is a lot to look forward to in terms of Wetherholt’s potential.
Cardinals Fans Should Be Excited
For the first time in several years, the Cardinals have a bright future ahead of them. Their farm system is in much better shape than it has been in years past, thanks to the additions of players such as Wetherholt.
The 23-year-old put on a show on opening day and received a nice gift at the end to celebrate his accomplishment, which will likely be the first of many as he continues to develop into a star at the major league level.
Cardinals’ fans have a lot to be excited about, even if 2026 is not the year that they win their 12th World Series championship.
Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop
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