St. Louis Cardinals announce unexpected alterations to their Opening Day roster setup
**Get Ready, Cardinals Fans! Here's Your Team's Surprising Opening Day Lineup 🗣️
The St. Louis Cardinals finally spilled the beans on their 26-man roster set to take the field on Opening Day and, oh boy, it's quite a doozy! Before they dive into the thick of the regular season, the Cardinals will be squaring off against their Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds, for a warm-up game.
But the real fireworks started just moments ago when they shared their lineup for tonight's showdown, which, from the looks of it, might just be the order they'll be rocking on Opening Day! The Cardinals might've taken a walk on the wild side with their offense, deviating from what many of us predicted.
The Cardinals' Lineup: A Stranger Than Expected Anthem for Opening Day 🔥
Derrick Good broke the news on X this afternoon, and the lineup gave us quite a shock! Here's how it goes:
- LF: Lars Nootbaar
- 1B: Willson Contreras
- 2B: Brendan Donovan
- 3B: Nolan Arenado
- DH: Alec Burleson
- C: Ivan Herrera
- RF: Jordan Walker
- CF: Victor Scott II
- SS: Masyn Winn
Now, there are two notable surprises that catch the eye. First up, the decision to relegate Masyn Winn towards the bottom of the order might rub a few folks up the wrong way, but it's the wise move, as things stand. Last season, Winn struggled when he was stationed at the top, posting a .248/.290/.402 with a 93 wRC+. The kid flourishes at the bottom, though, and both Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan seem more deserving of the leadoff spot, fire and brimstone!
Another eyebrow-raiser is the choice to go with Alec Burleson instead of Nolan Gorman. While we must wait for Opening Day revelries to confirm, this sure looks like the lineup the Cardinals will roll with. John Mozeliak has been hyping Gorman like he's stardust, claiming they're eager for him to rack up 600+ plate appearances. Hard to do that when you're on the bench!
Honestly, I'm not PRO-Gorman, bud. I wouldn't bat an eye if his struggles in 2024 turned out to be a window into his future. But I'd've used this season to give him a good, long look to see if he could get back to the player he was in 2022 and 2023. However, it's tough to argue against Burleson slotting into the lineup instead of him.
Burleson went up against right-handed pitching with a .804 OPS and a 125 wRC+ in 2022. Considering how barren the Cardinals' lineup was last season, it's hard to argue against having him in the starting nine against righties if he's dishing out those numbers!
So, there you have it, folks. Thursday's gonna be an exciting day to figure out if this is the real lineup the Cardinals will flaunt on Opening Day. If it is, well hello, perfect lineup! 💥
- John Mozeliak's decision to affiliate Alec Burleson over Nolan Gorman in the Cardinals' lineup has raised eyebrows, especially given Mozeliak's previous statements about Gorman.
- In anticipation of the Cardinals' Opening Day match, Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan seem more deserving of the leadoff spot compared to Masyn Winn, according to some analysts.
- Despite the surprise lineup, the Cardinals will have an affiliate game against the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds before they take the field on Opening Day.
