Scouting St. Louis Cardinals’ Exciting Rookie, JJ Wetherholt

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during warmups prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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The St. Louis Cardinals have uncovered a true gem in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.

His name is JJ Wetherholt.

Every Major League Baseball team covets a player like Wetherholt.

The left-handed hitting Wetherholt, 23, is the starting second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Wetherholt is the type of player that doesn’t mind getting his uniform dirty.

Playing like he enjoys every minute on the field, Wetherholt graduated to the parent Cardinals this year, after only parts of two seasons in minor league development.

Prior to making the Cardinals opening day roster, Wetherholt made only 622 minor league plate appearances. He hit .304/.418/.487/.905 in combined seasons across stops at Class-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.

St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

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About JJ Wetherholt:

The Cardinals selected Wetherholt with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

Chosen out of West Virginia University, Wetherholt received a $6.9M signing bonus.

Wetherholt was considered by many scouts to have been the best pure hitter in his draft class.

In three seasons of collegiate baseball, Wetherholt hit .370/.467/.625/.1.092, which had scouts all over him as the draft neared.

MLBpipeline.com shared that Wetherholt won the Division 1 batting title with a .449 batting average, and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year during his sophomore season. He continued his fine hitting for Team USA, and in the Cape Cod League.

Wetherholt was named the Cardinals top prospect both in 2025, and again this year by MLBpipeline.

While Wetherholt’s outstanding bat-to-ball skills placed him at the top of many MLB team’s draft list, hamstring injuries may have caused him to drop a bit to No. 7 in the draft.

Wetherholt’s grandmother is from South Korea, and he wanted to play for South Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. However, one needs a parent of South Korean descent to play on their World Baseball Classic team.

FORT WORTH, TX - JULY 14: JJ Wetherholt poses for a photo with commissioner of major league baseball Robert D Manfred Jr. after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals with the seventh pick of the first round during the 2024 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Cowtown Coliseum on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Scouting JJ Wetherholt:

justbaseball.com quotes a scout as saying this about Wetherholt: “He will map his day out to the letter, if it means giving him that edge he needs to stand out.”

Intense, and totally focused, Wetherholt is a winner.

While he is generally regarded as a shortstop, with Gold Glover Masyn Winn at short, Wetherholt has started as the Cardinals second baseman.

He has adjusted well, and MSN.com reports Wetherholt said this about playing second base, “I always say I’ve played second base the most of any other position…”

While he is an excellent defensive player with a strong, accurate arm, Wetherholt’s bat makes him special. He is a Grade 65 hitter, which equates to a player of All Star caliber.

Wetherholt has sneaky power, but his greatest success will likely come from hitting line-drive darts to the gaps, and using excellent speed to take an extra base.

Wetherholt hit two home runs against the Cleveland Guardians April 14. So he does have some pop.

Wetherholt’s manager, Oliver Marmol said this to MLB.com, “Wetherholt has the ability to stay on the ball. He uses the whole field. He takes a professional at-bat.”

Wetherholt keeps his weight back, and is nicely balanced. He has a level, measured swing, and doesn’t try to kill every pitch. He will smoke what the pitcher has to offer.

With his hands held high in an open stance, Wetherholt knows the strike zone well, and is selective at the plate.

Wetherholt is often compared to the Seattle Mariners Colt Emerson, who has signed an eight-year, $95M contract with Seattle.

Might the Cardinals look to lock up Wetherholt on a similar deal as they continue to rebuild their roster?

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 14: A view of the All-Star Game logo in the outfield during the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Truist Park on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Scouting Grade: 65

For this old scout, JJ Wetherholt is a Grade 65 player. That translates to a gifted athlete with several outstanding tools, and the ability to be a consistent All Star.

JJ Wethterholt is an exciting, scrappy player that the St. Louis Cardinals may use as the centerpiece of their franchise moving forward.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com