Today, some Cardinals minor league teams start the 2026 season: rosters, schedules, where the prospects are

It’s Opening Day for some of the Cardinals minor league teams. STL Sports Page is your place to turn to for the latest minor league news from the Cardinals. Our coverage will always be easy to understand, right to the point, and informational so if you want to know about the players as they are getting ready to be called up by the Cardinals, follow @RobRains on X

Throughout the last few years, Rob Rains has been visiting the minor league camps when the major league team is on the road. He is in contact with scouts, team officials, and those who are working and watching the Cardinals minor league system.

Why is this important to Cardinals fans? Because this year many of the young players were recently in the minors and Rains has seen them play in person and also met many of them and done featues on them.

Rains did a team by team breakdown of where the top prospects will be as the minor league seasons begin. To read the story, CLICK HERE.

Memphis Redbirds- Already playing
Memphis opened the season by sweeping Gwinnett on the road, then they returned to Memphis and began their regular season at home agains Norfolk, winning the first two games of that series.

Memphis Minor League Moves:
RHP Gordon Graceffo recalled by STL (Matt Pushard going on IL with knee tendinitis)
RHP Ian Bedell activated from the Developmental List
RHP Hunter Dobbins begins MLB Rehab Assignment with Memphis.

Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals opens their 2026 season on Friday, April 3, on the road against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. They hope to defend their 2025 Texas League Championship, and look forward to their home opener on April 7.

Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs have finalized their preparations for the 2026 season. The High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, is set to begin its 44th season on Friday, April 3, 2026, with a road game against Cedar Rapids. Their  home opener will be Tuesday, April 7 at 6:35 P.M. versus the South Bend Cubs they are excited to introduce new amenities at Dozer Park.

While Memphis has been playing for a week, and is off to a franchise-best 5-0 start, the other three full season affiliates are just getting started.  Palm Beach plays its’ season opener tonight (Thursday) while Springfield and Peoria open their seasons on Friday night.

We’re keeping an eye on Jimmy Crooks

Memphis started on the road and Jimmy Crooks is tearing it up at Memphis, the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate

Crooks was 4-for-4 on Wednesday, including his third home run in the first five games of the year.

 The St. Louis Cardinals have announced the 2026 Opening Day rosters for their Double-A, High-A and Single-A affiliates. Double-A Springfield and High-A Peoria will open today on the road at Amarillo (7:05 PM CT) and at Cedar Rapids (6:05 PM CT), respectively. Single-A Palm Beach opened their season yesterday with a 6-3 win vs. St. Lucie, their eighth consecutive Opening Day victory.

2026 Opening Day Rosters:

MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (Single-A)
As mentioned, Memphis has already started their season, sweeping the first season and  are playing Norfolk at home tonight. They are 6-0 on the young season.  Here is the information about their opening day roster:

Eight of the top 30 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals system opened the campaign with Memphis. Outfielder Joshua Baez (No. 4 STL prospect) is the highest-ranked prospect to start the season with the Redbirds, followed by catcher Leo Bernal (No. 6), left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews (No. 7), catcher Jimmy Crooks (No. 8), right-handed pitcher Tink Hence (No. 15), left-handed pitcher Brycen Mautz (No. 21), right-handed pitcher Luis Gastelum (No. 22) and infielder Blaze Jordan (No. 27).

Baez (No. 87 overall prospect) and Bernal (No. 98) represent the Redbirds on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospect list to start the season.

11 Redbirds find themselves on the Cardinals 40-man roster. Right-handed pitchers Gordon Graceffo, Richard Fitts and Ryan Fernandez, left-handed pitcher Nick Raquet, and infielders Bryan Torres and Cesar Prieto join Hence, Mautz, Bernal, Crooks and Baez.

The 2026 Memphis roster includes 16 returners from the 2025 season and a total of 18 players who have previously appeared in a Redbirds uniform.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS (Double-A)

PITCHERS (16): Tyler Bradt, Mason Burns, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Braden Davis*, Liam Doyle*, Hunter Hayes, Chen-Wei Lin, Austin Love, Mason Molina*, Ryan Murphy, Edwin Núñez, Domenic Picone, Hancel Rincón, Darlin Saladin, Brandt Thompson, Michael Watson*

CATCHERS (3): Ryan Campos, Carlos Linárez, Graysen Tarlow

INFIELDERS (5): Jon Jon Gazdar, Dakota Harris, Noah Mendlinger, Deniel Ortiz, Jeremy Rivas

OUTFIELDERS (4): Chase Davis, Travis Honeyman, Zach Levenson, Miguel Ugueto

DEVELOPMENT LIST (3): C Chase Adkison, RHP Randel Clemente, INF Trey Paige

INJURED LIST (2): LHP Brandon Clarke (60-day), LHP Cooper Hjerpe (60-day)

PEORIA CHIEFS (High-A)

PITCHERS (17): Blake Aita, Sam Brodersen, D.J. Carpenter, Nate Dohm, Yhoiker Fajardo, Jack Findlay*, Tanner Franklin, Dominic Freeberger, Aaron Holiday, Bobby Olsen, Jawilme Ramírez, Gerardo Salas, Jason Savacool, Leonel Sequera, Zack Showalter, Nolan Sparks, Christian Worley

CATCHERS (3): Sammy Hernandez, Josh Kross, Rainiel Rodriguez

INFIELDERS (6): Jesús Báez, Anyelo Encarnación, Jalin Flores, Cade McGee, Tre Richardson III, Miguel Villarroel

OUTFIELDERS (4): Won-Bin Cho, Jose Cordoba, Tai Peete, José Suárez

INJURED LIST (5): RHP José Davila (7-day), RHP Frank Elissalt (60-day), RHP Joseph King (60-day), RHP Bruno López (7-day), OF Ian Petrutz (7-day)

PALM BEACH CARDINALS (Single-A)

PITCHERS (17): Yadiel Batista*, Liam Best, Alex Breckheimer, Cade Crossland*, Antoni Cuello, Dylan Driessen, Kaden Echeman, Jovi Gálvez, Yordy Herrera*, Robbie Knowles, Jack Martinez, Rubén Menes, Jacob Odle, Jake Shelagowski, Ty Van Dyke, Nelfy Ynfante, Ethan Young

CATCHERS (3): Alex Birge, Heriberto Caraballo, Chase Heath

INFIELDERS (6): Michael Dattalo, Jack Gurevitch, Trevor Haskins, Christian Martin, Jonathan Mejía, Ryan Weingartner

OUTFIELDERS (4): Ryan Mitchell, Cameron Nickens, Yordalin Peña, Luis Pino

DEVELOPMENT LIST (1): INF Johnfrank Salazar

INJURED LIST (5): RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV (60-day), LHP Bernard Mack (7-day), OF Matthew Miura (7-day), INF Yairo Padilla (7-day), RHP Anthony Watts (7-day)

More on Springfield Cardinals