Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals: Opening Day lineup predictions - April 7th, 2022

The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will face each other on Opening Day, April 7, at the Busch Stadium.

The two NL Central rivals will start their respective seasons on different trajectories. The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to make the postseason once again and compete for a NL Central title. The Pittsburgh Pirates, on the other hand, are currently rebuilding for the future.

St. Louis Cardinals Projected Opening Day Lineup

The Cardinals lineup has a lot of the same players from a season ago. One addition of note is designated hitter Corey Dickerson. The St. Louis Cardinals' projected lineup is below:

1. Tommy Edman, 2B
2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
3. Tyler O'Neill, LF
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Dylan Carlson, RF
6. Yadier Molina, C
7. Corey Dickerson, DH
8. Paul Dejong, SS
9. Harrison Bader, CF

The Cardinals lineup has the potential to be among the best in the National League. This potential is solely reliant on consistent production from some of their younger players. This includes players such as Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson, Tommy Edman, and Harrison Bader.

The Cardinals already have one of the best defenses in baseball and if they can get consistency in the lineup, they have a chance to have a special season.

St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day Pitcher

Adam Wainwright during the Wild Card Round - St. Louis Cardinals v Los Angeles Dodgers

Adam Wainwright is projected to be the starting pitcher for the Cardinals home opener. Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty was projected to get the Opening Day start but after being shut down with tightness in his throwing shoulder, Wainwright will most likely get the nod.

Wainwright is entering his final season alongside catcher Yadier Molina. Look for Wainwright to get one final Opening Day start at Busch this year.

Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Opening Day Lineup

The Pittsburgh Pirates start the season as one of the favorites to have the worst record in baseball. The Pirates are currently rebuilding and the roster is mainly constructed of young prospects that will hopefully carry the team in the future. Below is the Pirates' projected lineup.

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, 1B
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. Dan Vogelbach, DH
5. Anthony Alford, LF
6. Ben Gamel, RF
7. Roberto Perez, C
8. Oneil Cruz, SS
9. Kevin Newman, 2B

The lineup is nothing to get excited about, but there are several players that could develop into solid MLB players. One player to watch in the lineup is All-Star centerfielder Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds is likely to be a top trade candidate at the trade deadline this summer.

Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day Pitcher

Jose Quintana pitches during a Los Angeles Dodgers v San Francisco Giants game.

Jose Quintana is projected to be the Opening Day starter for the Pirates. Quintana has had a lengthy but consistent career with multiple teams. Expect Quintana to be another potential trade candidate at the deadline for the Pirates.

Overall, the pitching matchup between Quintana and Wainwright will be an enticing matchup. Perhaps the most interesting part of this matchup is seeing Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright play on Opening Day one last time.

The game time is set for 3:15 CST.