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<\/a><\/p>\nST LOUIS, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 17: Iv\u00e1n Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats in a run on a fielding error by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium on September 17, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
2B JJ WetherholtSS Masyn Winn1B Alec BurlesonC Ivan Herrera (pictured)3B Nolan GormanRF Jordan WalkerDH Nelson VelazquezLF Jose FerminCF Victor Scott II<\/p>\n
Rationale: Let\u2019s start with everyone\u2019s favorite top prospect, JJ Wetherholt. Last season in AAA, in 221 PA, Wetherholt posted a .416 OBP, .366 xwOBA, 12.7 BB%, and a chase% of only 18.6%. That\u2019s a prototypical lead-off man profile in modern baseball, and while Manager Oli Marmol has traditionally been slow to work young players into more prominent roles, this is an exception to that rule. When Oli speaks of JJ, it\u2019s with confidence and excitement, and he doesn\u2019t hide how impressed he is with his poise and maturity at such a young age. I\u2019m expecting an impressive spring performance that will land him in the leadoff spot on opening day.<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t at all be surprised to see Herrera land in the 2 spot in the lineup either; however, I also see Herrera as the most reliable RH power bat in the lineup, and protecting Burleson makes more logical sense to me. So, I\u2019ll slot Masyn Winn into that 2 spot with the raw ability to be a 20-20 type player at his peak offensively, a proven track record of 2 strike approach, and the ability to shorten up and hit the ball through the right side behind runners on 1st, allowing them to go 1st-3rd to manufacture runs, I think Oli will put a healthy Masyn Winn as another table setter type in front of the big bats to come in that 2 spot.<\/p>\n
Burleson, a 2025 Silver Slugger award winner and the most consistent LH bat last season, not named Brendan Donovan (still sad), figures to be in that 2-3-4 mix for the lineup all season long. Not much more to say other than this is where every Cardinals fan should expect to see him in the lineup on an everyday basis. Herrera at 4, as I mentioned earlier, is the best option at the 2 or 4 spot in the lineup, but with Oli\u2019s belief in Masyn Winn as an offensive piece, and to an extent, myself included, Herrera\u2019s potent power will protect the top of the lineup and clean up whatever chaos-like mess they create in front of him.<\/p>\n
Nolan Gorman at 5 isnt that controversial, especially given the lack of proven talent on the roster. I expect Gorman will play a healthy amount of 3B this season, but I also don\u2019t expect him to play there 130 times this year. Gorman\u2019s value lies in his bat and his threat to do damage with exceptional raw power. I believe that will be the Cardinals\u2019 primary ask of him in 2026. Gorman increased his walk rate last season, and that should allow him to find more consistency AND more hittable pitches. Consistency is the big X factor for Gorman, and my favorite stat to point to from 2025 is his month-by-month wRC+ (where 100 is league average:) March\/April – 76, May – 45, June – 142, July – 110, August – 105, September – 24. Massive peaks and valleys for Gorman, and as a \u201cdriver of offense,\u201d months like May and September can not happen. You can live with a March\/April month here and there, but being between 55 and 76 percent below league average is unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Jordan Walker at 6 feels reasonable. Not a ton of pressure on him at that spot, but enough at-bats to where he will have a chance to make an impact on games and provide depth of offense, assuming the offseason work he has put in sticks, and he can re-establish a footing at the MLB level. I\u2019m not asking Jordan Walker to be anything more than a 95-100 wRC+ player this year. Just get to an average player and build on it from there.<\/p>\n
Alright, 7 and 8, this is where I think the most fluctuation is probable to occur. We have no idea of a timetable for Lars Nootbaar, and for now, I\u2019m projecting he starts the season on the IL, and that would be a prudent decision on the part of the Cardinals front office. If the hope is to trade Nootbaar at some point, either at the deadline or in the offseason, you need. him. to. be. HEALTHY. From other sources of reporting, we have learned that this \u201cHaglund\u2019s deformities\u201d condition and the subsequent procedure that involves correcting it tend to leave the Achilles tendon in a more vulnerable state initially. Needless to say, if Lars ruptures one or both Achilles, you can kiss ANY trade value goodbye, and perhaps could end Nootbaar\u2019s career. Therefore, the smartest route would be to slow-play and strengthen him, and if he doesn\u2019t make a season debut until the end of May? So what. If Lars is healthy, he\u2019s productive. If he\u2019s productive, he\u2019s an asset that teams will want. True, if not at the deadline, the value will go down, but less value in the offseason would be more ideal than no value, and a career-threatening injury to a player fans have an emotional attachment to.<\/p>\n
Enter Nelson Velazquez and Jose Fermin, an under-the-radar candidate in Velazquez, who has the raw power to impress in spring and potentially win a job going into the season. Vel\u00e1zquez is in camp on a minor league deal and an NRI. He does have big league experience and has popped 31 HR in his limited big league career. If the Cardinals are unable to lure in a more proven RH bat to play the OF, Velazquez has the type of raw power from a corner spot that the Cardinals\u2019 offense would be desperate to have. If worst comes to worst and he doesn\u2019t make the Opening Day roster, he starts the season at AAA and could be a depth option at some point in the season. Jose Fermin enters 2026 as a player with a slight edge in the left field conversation as Manager Oli Marmol utilized him more and more down the stretch of the 2025 season, and with solid plate discipline from the right side, he would make an effective place holder for when Nootbaar is ready to return.<\/p>\n
Victor Scott II will be the everyday CF in 2026. I know those of you who are skeptical will roll your eyes, and I understand why you should expect more. Vic expects more from himself, and the Cardinals have spent this pre-season period really trying to pump Scott up to the media, and we will see what improvements offensively he has made, as he told us at Winter Warm Up he completely re-built his swing from the ground up with the help of those who understand bio-mechanics and said he was very ineffecient with his swing. Much like Jordan Walker, another player who was brought to the big leagues before he was ready, Scott has been mired in adjustment after adjustment the last 2 seasons, just trying to figure out who he is as a hitter. This season, I ask of him the same thing I do of Walker: try to be average or slightly below, and they can build on that going forward.<\/p>\n
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: Yohel Pozo #63 of the St. Louis Cardinals takes batting practice prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry\/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MLB Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n C Pedro PagesC\/1B\/DH Yohel Pozo (pictured)INF\/OF Thomas SaggeseINF\/OF Bryan Torres<\/p>\n Rationale: The Cardinals didn\u2019t trade one of their catchers this offseason, and while that will likely leave some frustrated with how the catching situation plays out, it\u2019s entirely predictable how it will be deployed, and Cardinals fans should probably make their peace with that now. Pages is a good defensive catcher; he has a strong arm, an advanced pitch-calling acumen, and the trust of the pitching staff that works with him. Those are all positive traits for a big league catcher. He may never hit enough to be considered a great everyday catcher, but Cardinals fans shouldn\u2019t spurn good because it\u2019s not great. I can see where Herrera gets 50 games behind the plate, Pozo gets 30-ish, and contributes as a pinch hitter, and Pages gets the other 80 or so.<\/p>\n Thomas Saggese has the opportunity to fill the Brendan Donovan\/Tommy Edman role, where he just plays all over the field and is a consistent presence. Force feels like the wrong word for what he\u2019s accomplished so far, but the former 2023 Texas League MVP has enough raw power to be more than what he\u2019s shown. Saggese has some Alec Burleson to his game, where both hitters can make contact with just about any pitch in any zone. Opposing pitchers can exploit this and cause Saggese to chase out of the zone and get himself out. The key I\u2019m looking for Saggese to take the next step forward is being more selective in his approach and hunting damage in the zone.<\/p>\n Bryan Torres from the left side in 414 PA at AAA last season hit .328\/.441\/.464 -> .905 OPS and a 147 wRC+. He also walked more than he struck out, and he has very little in the way of power, but he is a real pest at the plate, and one that big league pitchers will likely have no desire to face.<\/p>\n I expect Nathan Church to begin the season at AAA as the starting CF between Chase Davis in LF and Joshua Baez in RF, and Church should be the first man up if there is an injury to the outfield mix. Jimmy Crooks and Leo Bernal will split time at AAA and provide valuable depth to the big league club. IF Herrera is deemed not to be a capable MLB catcher early on (unlikely at this point), it might change the way Crooks\u2019 2026 season looks.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n