2025 Opening Day in St. Louis – schedule & details
ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 25, 2025 – A pregame ceremony that introduces the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals, honors the club’s Hall of Famers and celebrates the great tradition of Opening Day in St. Louis will highlight the annual return of baseball at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 27. The Cardinals will open the 2025 season at Busch Stadium against the Minnesota Twins at 3:15 PM CT. An Opening Day timeline and schedule information can be found below and at cardinals.com/OpeningDay to help fans enjoy the unofficial holiday that is #OpeningDaySTL:
Pregame Schedule
10:30 AM – 1:00 PM Official Opening Day Pep Rally at Ballpark Village: Join Fredbird, Team Fredbird, DJ Todd Thomas, Cardinals organist Dwayne Hilton and Cardinals Alumni at the Busch II Infield Stage in the Together Credit Union Plaza for the Cardinals Opening Day Pep Rally. This event is free for all fans to attend and includes prizes and ticket giveaways to Opening Day and other 2025 games.
12:00 PM Busch Stadium Gates Open
2025 Cardinals Magnet Schedule: All fans, ages 21 and older, will receive a magnet featuring the 2025 Cardinals schedule, compliments of Budweiser.
12:05 – 12:55 PM Cardinals batting practice (subject to change)
1:00 – 1:50 PM Twins batting practice (subject to change)
2:30 PM Pregame ceremonies begin with an appearance by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales
Introduction of Fredbird & Team Fredbird
Recognition of Chairman & CEO, Bill DeWitt Jr.; President, Bill DeWitt III; and President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak
Introduction of National Baseball & Cardinals Hall of Famers via 2025 Ford Mustang convertible motorcade
2:49 PM Introduction of the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals via Ford F-150 truck motorcade
Introduction of the Minnesota Twins
3:04 PM National Anthem performance by GRAMMY Award winner and St. Louis native Lloyd Nicks with Color Guard presentation by the Ft. Leonard Wood Joint Service Color Guard
Ceremonial First Pitch by Members of the 1985 National League Championship Team
3:15 PM First Pitch by Cardinals Opening Day starting pitcher Sonny Gray
Forecasted Weather
Sun and clouds mixed with a chance of rain during the afternoon. High 70° F. Winds SSE at 10 MPH.
Projected Opening Day Roster
Pitchers (13): Erick Fedde, Ryan Fernandez, Sonny Gray, Ryan Helsley, John King, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Phil Maton, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, JoJo Romero, Chris Roycroft
Catchers (2): Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés
Infielders (7): Nolan Arenado, Luken Baker, Alec Burleson, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn
Outfielders (4): Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, Michael Siani, Jordan Walker
Injured List (1): Zack Thompson-LHP
Red Jackets
The following National Baseball Hall of Famers & Cardinals Hall of Famers are expected to take part in Opening Day pregame ceremonies (subject to change):
National Baseball Hall of Famers: Tony La Russa, Ted Simmons, Ozzie Smith & Joe Torre
Cardinals Hall of Famers: Vince Coleman, Jim Edmonds, Matt Holliday, Jason Isringhausen, Ray Lankford, Matt Morris, José Oquendo, Scott Rolen, John Tudor
Television Coverage
FanDuel Sports Network will air over eight hours of live programming on Opening Day, including 90 minutes of pregame coverage starting at 1:30 PM.
The network’s MLB programming begins at 10 AM with Foul Territory. At 12 PM, the network will air its national pregame show FanDuel Sports Network Countdown to Opening Day. The show will be hosted by Rich Hollenberg alongside Gaby Sanchez and Cardinals analyst Mark Sweeney and take fans to ballparks across the country during their whip-around coverage.
The Cardinals LIVE pregame show starts at 1:30 PM and will originate from the field at Busch Stadium on Opening Day, hosted by Alexa Datt alongside analyst Ricky Horton. Coverage of the Cardinals’ pregame ceremonies and player introductions will start at approximately 2:30 PM.
Calling the Cardinals vs. Twins will be play-by-play announcer Chip Caray and analyst Brad Thompson with Jim Hayes reporting from around Busch Stadium. The pregame ceremonies and game will re-air in prime time following Cardinals LIVE postgame.
Visit cardinals.com/TV for more information on all the ways to watch Cardinals baseball in 2025.
Radio Coverage
Fans can tune into KMOX 104.1 FM, 1120 AM or one of the other 158 stations in the Cardinals Radio Network to hear John Rooney, Ricky Horton, and Mike Claiborne call the game. The Ameren Total Access Show starts at 1:35 PM and will include live coverage of the pregame ceremonies inside Busch Stadium.
Fans can tune in locally to WIJR 880 AM “La Tremenda”, or one of the other nine stations in the club’s Cardinals Spanish Radio Network to hear Spanish broadcasters Polo Ascencio and Bengie Molina call the game as well. Pregame coverage starts at 2:20 PM and will include live coverage of the pregame ceremonies.
New Concessions at Busch Stadium
Three new fan favorite concepts will arrive at the renovated main concession stand in Ford Plaza, behind the bleachers:
Intentional Wok – Rice Bowls (choice of rice or noodles, choice of protein: tempura chicken, roast chicken or seasoned beef, with sauces including General Tso, Sweet & Sour, Teriyaki or Zesty Orange); Steamed Pork Pot Stickers; Chicken Egg Rolls and Fortune Cookies.
Outfield Grill – Jumbo Hot Dog (topped with chopped brisket, barbecue sauce and toasted onions on a Fazio bun); Jumbo Bratwurst (with sauerkraut and onions); Jumbo Dog (with sauerkraut and onions); Red Hot Sausage (with sauerkraut and onions); Bacon Cheddar Sausage (with sauerkraut and onions) and Chicken Tenders & French Fries.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard – Concretes, sundaes and shakes in flavors such as Signature Turtle (vanilla custard, fudge, caramel, pecans, whipped cream, cherry); Oreo Double Trouble (vanilla custard, Oreo pieces, whipped cream, cherry) and Cookie Dough (vanilla custard with cookie dough pieces), along with classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shake options.
New Partnerships and Food Vendors
Mayo Ketchup by Plantain Girl will serve fast-casual Puerto Rican, Dominican and Cuban cuisine in Section 169. Options include a Cubano sandwich (pork, ham, cheese, pickles, mustard), Empanadas (flaky pastry dough filled with either beef or chicken), Grilled Arepa (corn flour patty filled with cheese), or Maduros (fried ripe plantains).
Crumbl Cookies will bring its award-winning cookies to Section 136 and suite-level locations. Offerings will include milk chocolate chip, chocolate cake batter, peanut butter, and an exclusive, stadium-only cookie inspired by the Cardinals.
bet365 will serve as the club’s official mobile sports betting partner as part of a new multi-year sponsorship agreement. As part of the agreement, bet365 will receive naming rights to the all-inclusive bet365 Bridge located on the second level in right-centerfield.
Also New for 2025
Budweiser Terrace Updates: Budweiser Terrace, the social gathering area located on the fourth level in right field, has been refreshed with updated turf and new seating options in front of the stage along with new stage branding to enhance the look and feel of the area. The area will feature new activations including:
Crown Bar $5 Beers: Visit the highest bar at the top of the stadium for a great ballpark view and $5 draft beer, every game, all game long!
DJ Deks spinning music for Bud Terrace and the full ballpark, every Friday and Saturday game.
Sunday Funday: Live acoustic music and drink specials every Sunday game.
Food Specials: $5 hot dogs at the grill every Friday game.
Drink Specials: $6 Margaritas at all night games and $6 Bloody Marys at all day games.
Photo Ops: two new Ivy Wall/Neon Sign style photo walls will be installed opposite the stage later this month for fans to snap the perfect selfie or group shot.
Postgame Concert Series: Summer nights just got hotter! Fans are invited to stay after the games on Friday, June 20 and Friday, July 25 for Postgame Concerts by Cole Swindell and Flo Rida. No additional ticket is necessary, your game ticket is your concert ticket! A limited number of VIP Field Access Packages are available to enjoy the show on the field at cardinals.com/postgame. Presented by SIUE.
Cardinals Conversations: The club has launched a new Q&A event series with five different Cardinals Alumni and fan favorites: Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Ted Simmons, Cardinals Hall of Famer Ray Lankford, and World Series MVPs David Eckstein and David Freese. Emceed by Cardinals TV announcers Chip Caray and Brad Thompson, Cardinals Conversations presented by Edward Jones will be held in the intimate setting of Cunningham Corner inside Busch Stadium and will feature a limited number of tickets for each pre- or post-game event. Tickets are available now at cardinals.com/conversations.
Cardinal Museum Featured Exhibit: Growing Up Cardinal will explore the childhood baseball experience as a Cardinals fan through the lens of the three St. Louis Cardinals' stadiums. Topics include early to current-day team branding/retail marketing, player endorsements, mascots, bat boys, and the Knot Hole Gang. Visitors will have an opportunity to share their personal and favorite Cardinals stadium memories as part of the exhibit experience. Museum tickets can be purchased at cardinals.com/museum.
Scoreboard Redesign & Enhancements: Introducing more data-driven graphics, animations and dynamic elements. Fans can look forward to a more engaging view of how plays develop in real-time. The new design features dedicated offensive and defensive boards, showcasing more stats in a fresh, eye-catching format.
2025 Official Team Media Guide
The St. Louis Cardinals Media Guide is the official resource used daily by sportswriters, broadcasters and Cardinals front office staff. Featuring Lars Nootbaar, Willson Contreras, Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan and Sonny Gray on the cover, the Cardinals Media Guide contains stats and biographies of every player and coach in the organization and is the best and most comprehensive book about the Cardinals anywhere.
Printed copies of the 2025 Media Guide are available for $20 at the Official Cardinals Team Store at Busch Stadium, inside Cardinals Authentics Shops, or online at cardinals.com/mediaguide.
Opening Weekend 50/50 Raffle
Ticket sales for the Cardinals Care 2025 Opening Weekend 50/50 Raffle, presented by Draft Kings at Casino Queen, are on sale now, and remain open until the end of the 7th inning on Sunday, March 30. Tickets can also be purchased at Busch Stadium when gates open until the end of the 7th inning during games played between March 27-30.
The winning number will be drawn on Sunday, March 30, at the end of the 7th inning. One lucky winner will take home half of the total pot, while the other half will go to Cardinals Care to help support the Redbird Rookies youth softball and baseball programs, youth ballfields and grant programs that provide much needed funding to area non-profits that support kids.
Raffle tickets are 10 for $10, 60 for $20, and 200 for $50. Fans must be 18 years of age or older and be located in the state of Missouri at the time of purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cardinals.com/5050.
Cardinals Care Silent Auctions
Cardinals Care will conduct a Silent Auction throughout the first home series featuring autographed jerseys, baseballs, bats and more beginning on Thursday, March 27, at 9:00 AM CT through Sunday, March 30, at 9:00 PM CT. Fans can bid online at cardinals.com/ccauctions.
Prohibited Items Policy
- In conjunction with a league-wide policy established by Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals reserve the right to inspect all items entering Busch Stadium.
- Guests may bring in items such as: bags, purses and soft-sided coolers not exceeding 10” x 8” x 10”; food, non-alcoholic beverages in factory-sealed plastic bottles no larger than 2 liters; empty cups, mugs or plastic bottles.
- Fans can visit cardinals.com/security for the complete stadium inspection policy and prohibited items list.