ST. LOUIS – After a whirlwind offseason clouded by trade talks, eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado is back for his fifth season with the St. Louis Cardinals. And he started it off with a bang, crushing a key insurance home run in Thursday’s Opening Day victory.
Arenado, known for his intense focus and competitive drive, admitted that Thursday’s home opener was an emotional experience. This year, he took time to appreciate the excitement of the new season and the Opening Day festivities, a fresh perspective likely heightened by the uncertainty of his offseason.
“It feels good. It meant a lot to me today,” said Arenado on his 2025 Opening Day experience. “I took it all in, and I usually don’t, but today, I did. The way [the fans] cheered for me got me motivated, and I was just fortunate to give them something to cheer about. I want to thank them for that. It meant a lot to me and my family. It was a cool day.”
For a time, one major focus of the Cardinals’ offseason was whether the team would trade Arenado to shape its future. One expected deal involving the Houston Astros fell through, and nothing else ever came close, creating a tricky situation for the Cardinals and Arenado to navigate moving forward.
Arenado has turned the page from the offseason. The 33-year-old third baseman is currently under contract for three more years with the Cardinals. He is expected to handle the hot corner on a near-daily basis if healthy and rostered with the team.
Despite all of the uncertainty surrounding the offseason, Arenado was energized on Opening Day, and his post-homer curtain call came as an unexpected, yet welcome surprise.
“I was happy I got to that guy’s heater [Twins reliever Griffin Jax]. He’s a really good pitcher, and I was just trying to battle there,” said Arenado. “I hit it short to the ball, and that’s when I’m usually good, when I’m pulling the ball in the air. I was able to do it. I wasn’t expecting a curtain call. I was actually surprised I got it. I don’t think I got one last year. It felt good to get one this year.”
Similarly, the warm reception from Cardinals fans during pregame introductions caught him by surprise.
“When they’re introducing the lineup, [fans] got loud for me, and it meant a lot. I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be that loud. I think it kind of hit me a little bit. I was pretty pumped up about it.”
Arenado felt that this Opening Day was a glimpse of what a youth-driven Cardinals lineup could accomplish this season.
“We play with energy, we’re excited to come to the field every day, and that’s something that we’re trying to set the tone with. And it starts today,” said Arenado. [Twins starter] Pablo [Lopez] is a great pitcher. We did a good job against him, and we found a way to win the ballgame. But obviously, [Cardinals starter] Sonny [Gray] set the tone today. But, I think, like I said, we just want to come into energy, and we got a lot of young guys that bring it, and we all need to step up and do it.”
He also quipped about a spectator who rushed the field after his eighth-inning homer.
“He was holding up his jersey when I gave the curtain call, and then, I don’t know, he got laid out bad. He was on the dirt, for sure. He got laid out bad.”
“He was a little excited?” asked FOX 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s all good. He’s going to jail, so it’s not all good, but yeah,” replied Arenado, as he and media members shared chuckles.
The Cardinals defeated the Twins, 5-3, on Opening Day after an hour and a half rain delay. Both teams return to action Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium.