How to Watch Rays vs Cardinals on Opening Day: TV Channel and Live Stream
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After a long winter, Opening Day is officially here for the Tampa Bay Rays, and they will be getting things started with a series on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was a busy offseason for the Rays, who saw a fair amount of roster turnover this winter. Due to the payroll remaining low despite new ownership coming in, the Rays operated as normal and made savvy moves to try to keep their farm system strong and also get the most out of their roster.
Despite being in one of the most challenging divisions in baseball, Tampa Bay is hoping to compete in 2026. They have some good talent on their roster, but they will need some things to go right for them.
On Thursday, they will have a chance to get things started on a positive note against a Cardinals team that is pretty clearly rebuilding. The Rays shouldn’t take this group lightly, but this is a series that, if Tampa Bay wants to be a contender, they should win. Here’s how to watch the Opening Day matchup.
Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays at St. Louis Cardinals
When: Thursday, March 26, 4:15 p.m. (ET)
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
Television: Cardinals.TV and Rays.TV
Streaming: MLB.TV/ESPN Unlimited
And so it begins 🤩#RaysUp | #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/F7wwHHCp2z
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) March 26, 2026
In their season-opener, the Rays will be sending their 2025 All-Star Drew Rasmussen to the mound. The right-hander had a fantastic campaign last year and will be looking to lead a Rays’ rotation that could be a strength this year.
Furthermore, all eyes will really be on how the lineup can perform. This was a unit that got hit hard by injuries right before the start of the season and will be without their projected starting infield.
Top prospect Carson Williams, who was originally sent down to the minors, will now be the starting shortstop for the Rays and has a massive opportunity to prove himself. In a perfect world, he will be able to hit the ground running and take over the position for himself going forward.
The Cardinals will have a young lineup with a lot of new faces compared to years past. While they have a storied history, they will be entering a rebuild for the next couple of seasons, it appears.
With the excitement of Opening Day and the start of a new campaign in a new era for Tampa Bay, hopefully, they can come away with a victory in the opener.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20. He can also be reached at via email at NickZiegler26@gmail.com