Inside The Cardinals

Another Cardinals Phenom Is All-In on JJ Wetherholt

The St. Louis Cardinals phenom looks as advertised in Spring Training so far.
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (77) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (77) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are under one month away from kicking off the 2026 Major League Baseball season and it would be very surprising at this point if No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt isn't in the lineup on Opening Day.

Wetherholt entered camp with massive hype around him and he has lived up to it so far. Wetherholt has played in five games so far in St. Louis in Spring Training and is slashing .375/.615/.750 with a 1.356 OPS. Wetherholt also has one homer, four RBIs, five walks and five runs scored. That'll play in the majors.

Wetherholt isn't just impressing the fanbase and media world. Unsurprisingly, his teammates have taken notice as well. Shortstop Masyn Winn certainly sounds ready to play in the infield with Wetherholt as well.

"I've seen a lot of great things," Winn said of Wetherholt. "Obviously, I know what he can do with the bat. Defensively, he's only going to get better. He's just going to slow the game down. The dude is an uber athlete. The dude can do pretty much anything on the field. It's pretty exciting. He shows up to the park every day to work. He was actually working out with me this offseason. The dude's work ethic is unmatched. The dude's drive is unmatched. He wants to be here. It's going to be a lot of fun turning double plays with him."

Wetherholt and Winn are both 23 years old. Winn already has shown what he can do in the majors. Imagine if Wetherholt can live up to the hype as well? The Cardinals already are set at shortstop for the foreseeable future and Wetherholt very much looks like he's on his way in that direction.

The Cardinals may not have very high hopes heading into the season from a standings perspective, but if Wetherholt ends up being as good as everyone thinks that he's going to be, the perception around the organization is going to shift very quickly. The rotation is young and interesting and there are plenty of talented, young offensive weapons as well. This team can surprise some people in 2026.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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