JUPITER, Fla. \u2013 At long last, spring training is underway and the 2026 season is coming into focus for the St. Louis Cardinals.<\/p>\n
Pitchers and catchers officially reported to the St. Louis Cardinals spring camp Wednesday in Jupiter, Florida, with the rest of the roster expected to arrive this week.<\/p>\n
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After missing the postseason for the third consecutive season, the Cardinals enter spring camp with a new identity and perhaps overlooked. The Cardinals moved several veterans in cost-cutting moves and pivoted toward a youth-driven roster. The organization has also renewed an emphasis on player development under new lead front-office executive Chaim Bloom.<\/p>\n
As spring training begins, it\u2019s a good time to look ahead at what 2026 might have in store for the St. Louis Cardinals. Here are five bold predictions for the new season:<\/p>\n
1) Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy each make 30 starts this season<\/p>\n
The Cardinals no longer have Sonny Gray leading the starting rotation and Miles Mikolas on the back end, creating an opportunity and necessity for younger arms to take ownership. While the Cardinals have many intriguing pitching prospects on the horizon, most notably Quinn Mathews and Liam Doyle, not many are quite ready to make an immediate jump to the majors.<\/p>\n
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That turns attention to Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy, two stabilizing forces in last season\u2019s rotation that dealt with inconsistencies. The duo made a combined 45 starts with ERAs of 4.21 and 4.42, both right around league average. Both also proved capable of working deep into games, reaching six innings in around half of their starts. A fully healthy starting pitcher usually makes 32 starts in any given season. If the Cardinals are serious about building a sustainable foundation in the rotation, Liberatore and McGreevy must step up and prepare for heavier workloads.<\/p>\n
2) Alec Burleson finishes with a 100 RBI season<\/p>\n
Alec Burleson has made steady offensive improvements in each of his first three full big-league seasons, most impressively with his on-base plus slugging percentage-plus rating (OPS+) rising from 87 to 105 to 125. The metric indicates he was getting on base and slugging around 25% better than the average player last year. The growth in that department alone suggests that Burleson is entering his prime.<\/p>\n
Once again, he\u2019ll be asked to raise the bar again this season, particularly in run production in a lineup with Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Burleson is expected to settle into the heart of the lineup, likely hitting second, third or cleanup, all spots of ample opportunity to drive in runners.<\/p>\n
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In smaller sample sizes throughout his college, minor-league and major-league career, Burleson has averaged around one RBI per game, including a hot stretch in 2024 where he had 35 over 27 games. The past two seasons, Burleson has averaged 74 RBIs over 146 games played. At the pace of a full 162-game schedule, he would have 83 RBI per season. So pushing for triple-digits is ambitious, but would help him firmly establish a place as the Cardinals\u2019 lineup tone-setter.<\/p>\n
3) JJ Wetherholt wins NL Rookie of the Year<\/p>\n
The Cardinals cleared their infield logjam this winter with one big goal in mind: Creating a runway for JJ Wetherholt, one of the team\u2019s most dynamic prospects in recent years and MLB Pipeline\u2019s fifth highest-rated prospect.<\/p>\n
Wetherholt enters camp with a legitimate chance to claim the starting second base job for Opening Day. After hitting .306 with 17 home runs, 59 RBI and 23 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Wetherholt showed the poise and skillset of a hitter who may not need much time to adjust to big-league pitchers.<\/p>\n
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While Wetherholt\u2019s development to this point has been primarily at shortstop, Masyn Winn is locked into that job with his elite defense. The move to second base should be less burdensome defensively than the other open spot at third base, giving Wetherholt a chance to further focus on his hitting craft. Wetherholt has been praised for his bat-to-ball skills, baseball IQ, and plate discipline. Competition for NL Rookie of the Year could be fierce, especially if Pittsbrugh\u2019s Konnor Griffin and New York\u2019s Nolan McLean make big strides, but if Wetherholt seizes an everyday role out of camp, he will have a real shot of becoming the first Cardinals honoree since Albert Pujols in 2001.<\/p>\n
4) Lars Nootbaar will be moved by this season\u2019s trade deadline<\/p>\n
Lars Nootbaar, the longest-tenured active Cardinal, is preparing for his sixth season in St. Louis. Based on his experience and clubhouse energy, he would likely be penciled as the starting leftfielder on Opening Day, However, durability remains a concern, and Nootbaar could begin the season on the injured list while recovering from offseason surgery from chronic Haglund\u2019s deformities, causing significant pain in his foot.<\/p>\n
When healthy, Nootbaar provides critical on-base skills and lineup versatility. But he\u2019s missed significant time the past three seasons \u2013 around 150 games \u2013 with a variety of injuries from thumb issues, rib fractures and oblique strains.<\/p>\n
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Nootbaar could be a free agent after the 2027 season, and there\u2019s a chance that next year\u2019s MLB campaign could be interrupted due to player labor negotiations. With Nootbaar, the Cardinals also have a wealth of left-handed big-league hitters, and that would only continue with Wetherholt\u2019s arrival. Given all of these factors, plus the Cardinals still being in the early stages of a roster rebuild, the Cardinals will likely at least entertain offers on Nootbaar and see if they can maximize value. Many contenders will likely look for controllable outfield help midseason.<\/p>\n
5) Cardinals will not finish last place in the NL Central<\/p>\n