Cardinals and Royals Announce Opening Day Rosters

St. Louis and Kansas City reveal their 26-man squads for the start of the 2026 MLB season

Mar. 26, 2026 at 4:35pm

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The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals have announced their opening day rosters ahead of the 2026 MLB season. The Cardinals' roster includes 13 pitchers, 3 catchers, 7 infielders, and 3 outfielders, while the Royals' roster features starting and relief pitchers, catchers, infielders, and outfielders.

Why it matters

The announcement of opening day rosters is an annual rite of spring for baseball fans, signaling the start of a new season and providing a glimpse of the talent each team will field. For the Cardinals and Royals, these rosters represent the culmination of offseason roster moves and the final decisions on which players will make the active MLB roster to begin the year.

The details

The Cardinals' roster includes several top pitching prospects like Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May, along with veteran relievers like Ryne Stanek. The Royals' roster features a mix of young talent like Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, along with veteran starters like Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo.

  • The Cardinals and Royals announced their opening day rosters on March 26, 2026.
  • The Cardinals will open their season against the Tampa Rays on March 27, 2026.
  • The Royals will open their season against the Atlanta Braves on March 29, 2026.

The players

Matthew Liberatore

A top pitching prospect in the Cardinals' system.

Dustin May

A veteran right-handed pitcher for the Cardinals.

Bobby Witt Jr.

A highly touted young infielder for the Royals.

Vinnie Pasquantino

A promising young first baseman for the Royals.

Cole Ragans

A veteran starting pitcher in the Royals' rotation.

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What they’re saying

“We're excited about the talent we have on this year's opening day roster. These players have worked hard all spring and we believe they give us the best chance to compete from day one.”

— John Mozeliak, President of Baseball Operations, St. Louis Cardinals

“This is a young, hungry group that's ready to get the season started. We have a good mix of veteran leadership and up-and-coming talent that should make for an exciting year in Kansas City.”

— J.J. Picollo, General Manager, Kansas City Royals

What’s next

The Cardinals will host the Tampa Rays on March 27 for their opening day matchup, while the Royals will travel to Atlanta to face the Braves on March 29.

The takeaway

The announcements of the Cardinals' and Royals' opening day rosters signal the start of a new MLB season, with both teams hoping their mix of young talent and veteran leadership will translate to success on the field in 2026.