A historic MLB debut on Opening Day for JJ Wetherholt with Cardinals
The kid has arrived in the majors.
A historic MLB debut on Opening Day for JJ Wetherholt with Cardinals originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . JJ Wetherholt has arrived.
The St. Louis Cardinals decided not to wait any longer. Rather than send Wetherholt back to the minor leagues, he's in MLB on Opening Day.
On Thursday, that means Wetherholt will make his regular season MLB debut. He most likely will bat leadoff. If Wetherholt leads off, he'll be the first Cardinals rookie to bat in the leadoff spot for his MLB debut on Opening Day since 1949: If JJ Wetherholt bats in No.
1 spot for #STLCards in today's season opener, he'll be first Cards rookie to make his MLB debut as the team's leadoff man on Opening Day since Tommy Glaviano at Reds in 1949. But JJ would be first Cardinal rookie to make MLB debut as an Opening Day… — Miklasz (@b_miklasz) March 26, 2026 MORE: Mike Trout, Tiger Woods, and Superman without his cape The first Cardinals player to ever do this was Pug Bennett in 1906, which is really just a great excuse to spell out the name Pug Bennett. Wetherholt is hoped to have immense staying power.