Cardinals Send JJ Wetherholt Message With Opening Day Lineup

The trust is there from game one...

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (77) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

JJ Wetherholt did an excellent job of stealing the headlines in St. Louis Cardinals camp just by being himself.

After laying waste to minor-league pitching in the season and a half since his first-round selection, Wetherholt proved once and for all that he deserved to be on the opening day roster with a .386 on-base percentage in Grapefruit League play. That's the sort of easy production this Cardinals team needs at the top of its lineup.

And the Cardinals aren't wasting any time putting Wetherholt in the position to prove he can set the tone, because in his very first major league game, he'll be the first man to take an at-bat for his team.

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Wetherholt leading off against Rays; here's why it matters

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter JJ Wetherholt (77) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Wetherholt is playing second base and leading off for the Cardinals in Thursday's season opener against Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays, which begins at 3:15 p.m. CT. St. Louis announced its lineup (via MLB.com) to plenty of fanfare late Thursday morning.

Behind Wetherholt, the Cardinals went with Iván Herrera as the designated hitter in the two-hole, Alec Burleson batting third and playing first base, and Masyn Winn at shortstop as the cleanup hitter. Others will get their chance to make an impact, but those three are the most reliable returners Wetherholt has to lean on for protection (and to drive him home).

Wetherholt is just the fifth player since 2010 to bat leadoff in his major league debut, per Just Baseball. He joins Austin Jackson, Aaron Hicks, Jung Hoo Lee, and Jackson Chourio on that exclusive list.

There's plenty of reason to be excited about the 23-year-old making his debut right from the jump, not the least of which is that he can earn the Cardinals an extra draft pick at the end of next year's first round if he wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in Most Valuable Player voting.

What better way to establish oneself as the favorite for a postseason award than by racking up a few hits in the very first game?