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I asked the kid about the kid.

鈥淒o you know who JJ Wetherholt is?鈥�

Inside Busch Stadium on Thursday, 11-year-old Nolan Hearn said he didn鈥檛.

鈥淣ot yet,鈥� said his father, Jerry Hearn of Maryville, Illinois, who then looked over at Nolan. 鈥淗opefully you鈥檒l know who he is pretty soon.鈥�

JJ is here.

Since the nanosecond Wetherholt was drafted No. 7 overall in 2024, many Cardinals fans wondered just when he would debut at Busch Stadium. The answer 鈥� fittingly, symbolically, beautifully聽鈥� was opening day of the 2026 season. As the Cardinals start fresh with new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, here is the future star, dressed as the present. And for the fans, his presence is like a present.

鈥淚t's always fun just for a new season, right?鈥� Jerry Hearn said. "Just to see what's going to happen. Especially this year, with them being younger and starting out new. ... Just (Wetherholt's) defense, just him and (Masyn) Winn up the middle, hopefully we can get back to playing fundamental baseball and prevent runs. ... It's still fun just to see what he can do. The sky's the limit, right? You're hoping that the ceiling is much, much higher with him.鈥�

The 23-year-old Wetherholt, who is considered the No. 5 overall prospect by , is the standout offensive player in this Cardinals rebuild. There are other “young guys,” but he’s the marquee name. Hope in a uniform.

鈥淗e鈥檚 our new second baseman 鈥� and I know the highest of expectations,鈥� said Laura Stewart, a retired school counselor from St. Charles County who attended Thursday鈥檚 opener with her friends, per tradition. 鈥淗igh expectations because I know he hit some home runs during spring training. And I almost feel like we鈥檙e putting the franchise on his back and saying: 'Carry us!' ... There鈥檚 that sense of聽鈥� there鈥檚 a new beginning.鈥�

There has been so much hype from the Cardinals about JJ聽鈥� all over their social media accounts and even on the cover of Cardinals Magazine聽鈥� I was curious about his jersey and shirsey sales at the Busch Stadium team store. I asked an employee where the Wetherholt stuff was located.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the popular question,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be in about a month.鈥�

You can鈥檛 get a No. 26 jersey at opening day? Wild! I mean, there is just so much anticipation for this preordained sensation (yes, of course, many of us thought Jordan Walker would be a star, too).

Incidentally, I was curious why Wetherholt chose No. 26. He said he didn鈥檛 consider No. 7, which could鈥檝e been cool because he was the No. 7 pick and it鈥檚 a classic single-digit number (alas, that didn鈥檛 work out for No. 3 Dylan Carlson).

鈥淣ot a ton (of significance),鈥� JJ said. 鈥淚 mean, I wore it in Springfield (Missouri, with the Class AA S-Cards), I think. And I might have worn it a couple times growing up, but I usually go with numbers in the 20s. So it's 22, 24 27 in college. So 26 is the closest. ...

鈥�(Opening day) is a lot of excitement. Just happy for myself, my family and just everybody who's been a part of this journey.鈥�

To learn more about No. 26, I asked another No. 26.

Cardinals cult hero Scott Spiezio wore the number for the 2006 World Series champions (just like his father, Ed, did on the 1964 and 1967 World Series champions). Scott Spiezio lives in Morris, Illinois, about 3 1/2 hours from 最新杏吧原创.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been a Cardinal fan,鈥� he said by phone. 鈥淎s a big fan, of course you want to win聽鈥� over the last couple years, it's been a little tough. ... (Wetherholt), I know he's a great fielder, and I know he can hit. Hearing him talk at the (baseball writers鈥�) banquet (in January), it just seems like he loves the game, and he loves where he's at. And I saw him at the hotel afterwards, and I just said, 鈥楬ey, man, if I can tell you one thing聽鈥� just stay humble.鈥� And I think he was calling me sir! He goes, 鈥榊es sir, yes sir. Always.鈥� And I鈥檓 like聽鈥� I think this kid's gonna be all right. He just seemed genuine, very humble.

鈥淚t seems like everybody that talked about him had that same excitement about him. And all the fans are all excited about it, too. So it's a lot of pressure, but kids like that usually thrive on pressure. So I'm really excited to see what he does and some of these other young guys, too.鈥�

From the dugout at the team鈥檚 Wednesday workout, manager Oli Marmol told an interested nugget聽鈥� one he told JJ.

鈥淲hat I was able to share with him聽鈥� he came into camp, and he competed in a way where he already belonged,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淗e wasn't hoping things went well. There's a demeanor to him. There's a quiet confidence where he knows he belongs to be up here. He's committed to his craft in a way that you respected. And聽鈥� we trust him, bottom line. So in talking to Chaim and talking to our staff, and then being able to share it with him, it's like, 鈥榃e trust you.鈥� And there's a lot of enthusiasm behind that.鈥�

Sure enough, Marmol made Wetherholt the leadoff hitter for the 2026 season.

鈥淚f there are bonus points for symbolism,鈥� Bloom said, 鈥渨e will take the bonus points.鈥�