Cardinals JJ Wetherholt Has Shot at St. Louis History Not Seen Since 2001

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't had a National League Rookie of the Year Award winner since Albert Pujols back in 2001 but that could very well change this season.

JJ Wetherholt has been great for the Cardinals all season to this point at just 23 years old. The young infielder has played in 51 games and is slashing .239/.359.401 and a .760 OPS, nine homers, 25 RBIs, six stolen bases, five doubles and 36 runs scored. He has a 121 OPS+ and already is at 2.7 wins above replacement, despite the fact that his big league career began in March. Right now, Wetherholt is also in the 99th percentile in outs above average with eight.

It has been an excellent season for Major League Baseball for rookies and yet Wetherholt has stood out. So much so that ESPN's Bradford Doolittle tabbed him as the front-runner for the National League Rookie of the Year Award right now.

The Cardinals Have A Budding Star On Their Hands

May 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"National League," Doolittle wrote. "Front-runner: JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals (129.7 AXE). Leader trend: Along with Walker, Wetherholt has been a linchpin behind the Cardinals' surprising campaign. Wetherholt's numbers should be even better:

"He strikes out at a rate below league average and has a line drive rate right at the mean, but his BABIP (.255) is low for a player with those markers. Wetherholt has hit for power, added value on the bases, posted outstanding defensive numbers and ranks seventh among NL hitters in win probability added. He is every bit as good as we were told he would be."

Wetherholt has done a lot of everything so far this season for the Cardinals. He has been so good that he's actually 12th in the league overall right now with his 2.7 wins above replacement. He's ahead of guys like Matt Olson, Brice Turang, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mike Trout, and Aaron Judge, among many others. On a side note, Jordan Walker is fifth in the league right now in wins above replacement at 3.1. There are few teams in baseball with a duo playing as well as Wetherholt and Walker right now.

If Wetherholt can continue to play like he has so far this season, there's a very real chance some hardware could be coming to St. Louis for the first time in a long time. Pujols is the last to win the Rookie of the Year Award in St. Louis, but Wetherholt could be the next guy.

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