Overview
- Batting leadoff in his MLB debut at Busch Stadium on Opening Day, JJ Wetherholt crushed a 425-foot homer to center off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen at 101.7 mph.
- The rookie later lifted a sacrifice fly that tied the game in the sixth as the Cardinals erased a 7-1 deficit to beat Tampa Bay 9-7.
- Manager Oli Marmol said Wetherholt earned the top lineup spot because he could handle the moment, and baseball operations chief Chaim Bloom said he gave them no reason to keep him off the roster.
- A 2024 first-round pick, Wetherholt entered 2026 as St. Louis’ No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 overall after a .421 on-base percentage in Double-A and Triple-A and a .386 OBP in spring games.
- After the win, he was called into Oli Marmol’s office and received a commemorative ball from Marmol, Chaim Bloom and Lars Nootbaar, a scene that doubled as a message about the club’s youth-driven direction.