JJ Wetherholt Faces Steep Competition For Coveted Rookie Award

The St. Louis Cardinals have something special in 23-year-old second baseman JJ Wetherholt.

St. Louis appears to have its second baseman of the future, locking Wetherholt down on an eight-year, $112.5 million extension, the largest guaranteed total contract in Cardinals franchise history. The Cardinals locked down the young infielder as he continues to impress with stellar performances in his rookie season.

Through 128 games, Wetherholt is slashing .245/.348/.376 with 17 home runs and 48 runs batted in. Even more impressive is his defense, as the 23-year-old leads the majors with 367 total assists. Wetherholt has also posted 22 outs above average this season, ranking third-best in baseball and leading all second basemen.

Wetherholt's defense has been unreal

Jul 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) catches the ball for an out on the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With how well Wetherholt has played this season, the rookie infielder is likely the frontrunner for the National League Gold Glove Award at second base. Even with the impressive season, the National League Rookie of the Year Award surprisingly isn't guaranteed, with Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart giving Wetherholt stiff competition.

"Sal Stewart leads MLB with 100 RBIs entering Friday. He’s the first rookie with at least 100 RBIs in a season since Pete Alonso had 120 in 2019," MLB.com's Sarah Langs wrote on Friday. "Just two rookies have led at least their league in RBIs for a season (RBIs official since 1920): 1950 Walt Dropo (144 RBIs) and 1939 Ted Williams (144 RBIs per Elias). Both led MLB. Will Stewart become the third?"

Stewart has surprisingly been just as impressive as Wetherholt this season. The 22-year-old slugger leads the majors with 100 runs batted in and has hit 28 home runs, while slashing .261/.334/.472. Stewart has been exceptional with runners in scoring position this year, making the most of his opportunities and batting .321.

Stewart was named an All-Star this year, an honor many Cardinals fans believed Wetherholt should have earned as well, and his offensive impact can't be denied. He has also been versatile for the Reds' defense, logging over 30 starts at third base and seven at second base, though first base remains his primary position.

St. Louis legend Albert Pujols was the last Cardinals player to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, 25 years ago. Wetherholt appeared to be the favorite to win the coveted award earlier in the season, yet with fewer than 30 games in the season, it will be an extremely tight race between the standout Cardinals rookie and Stewart.

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