JJ Wetherholt Could Do Something No Cardinals Player Has In 25 Years

The St. Louis Cardinals' promising rookie could join some elite company as he remains the frontrunner for an impressive reward.

Aug 9, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a go-ahead two run double against the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have found something special in rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt.

The Cardinals have stunned the league this season, and the 23-year-old has played a major role in their success. It was expected that Wetherholt could be a solid piece of St. Louis' offense, but the rookie infielder has exceeded expectations, slashing .245/.351/.380 with 16 home runs and 45 runs batted in through 115 games.

Wetherholt has done well at the plate this season, but has been even more exceptional defensively. It's not like the 23-year-old was expected to be a bad fielder, but what he's accomplished has been special. Wetherholt ranks second in the entire league in outs above average with 20, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong. To put that into perspective, among second basemen, Luis Arráez is second with only 11 outs above average, trailing Wetherholt by a wide margin.

Wetherholt has been special this season

Aug 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It wouldn't be surprising to see Wetherholt be recognized for his exceptional performance at the end of the season. With how well the rookie infielder has been playing this season, he's the likely frontrunner to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, an honor no Cardinals player has won since Albert Pujols in 2001.

"Similar to his AL counterpart Kevin McGonigle, Wetherholt has provided value in a wide variety of ways en route to being the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote on Friday. "The 23-year-old has been the Cardinals primary leadoff hitter, and he also looks like the favorite for the NL Gold Glove (13 DRS, 21 OAA)."

Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart and New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean are likely the only two other rookies who could keep Wetherholt from winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award, but with how much the 23-year-old impacts the game on offense and defense, it would be surprising to see him not take home the honors.

The Cardinals clearly already are aware that they have a special player in Wetherholt, as the team was willing to sign him to a landmark nine-figure contract extension in his rookie season. Becoming the first Cardinals player since Pujols to win the NL ROY would be an extremely impressive way to cap off his rookie season, yet Wetherholt could take it even a step further by winning a Gold Glove Award as well.