Cardinals lean into 'Tarps Off' fan movement, dedicate outfield bleachers to rowdy fans starting Wednesday

The St. Louis Cardinals have been aware of the “Tarps Off” movement featuring shirtless fans who congregate in the right-field bleachers and cheer loudly and proudly for their team.

On Wednesday, the team officially endorsed the movement. Starting with Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the upper right-field bleachers will be dedicated to Tarps Off fans to bring high energy to the game.

No matter where a fan’s paid seats are for the game, they will be welcomed to the section under the assumption that they’ll join the high-energy fans there.

The “Tarps Off” movement started during college football games last season, when one fan would make their way to an empty section, take off their shirt, wave it around and start cheering wildly.

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They were always joined by other fans, and all of a sudden, an empty section was not only full but also often the loudest in the stadium.

This trend has made its way to baseball this spring, and it hit Busch Stadium on Friday, when the Cardinals hosted the Kansas City Royals. The Stephen F. Austin baseball team was in town for the Division II College World Series, and 17 players were given tickets to the Cardinals game.

By the time the game reached extra innings, the 17 players had taken off their shirts and begun waving them around their heads while cheering on the Cards. Other fans joined in, and Yohel Pozo hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th to secure the victory for St. Louis.

After the game, manager Oliver Marmol hyped up the fans, saying, “Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend. I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy.”

The Stephen F. Austin team was back in right field Saturday night after a win of their own over Stony Brook. St. Louis beat the Royals 4-2 in front of another raucous crowd.

After a series-ending loss on Sunday, and without the college baseball players as inspiration, the Tarps Off atmosphere was back at Busch Stadium on Tuesday.

In the bottom of the 10th, catcher Ivan Herrera hit a walk-off, three-run home run and acknowledged the right-field fans going crazy as he rounded the bases.

St. Louis was expected to be rebuilding in 2026. Yet the Cardinals are 28-19 entering Wednesday, which puts them second in the competitive NL Central. St. Louis is 3-1 since the “Tarps Off” movement began.

So far, the movement has also taken over sections of games in Detroit, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Seattle and Anaheim. It might be the hottest trend in baseball, and if it keeps leading to big wins, it won’t be going away anytime soon.