Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt Is Putting Up Bobby Witt Jr.-Like Numbers

The St. Louis Cardinals phenom has been better than you'd think this season.

Apr 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) leaps and catches a line drive hit by New York Mets second baseman Jorge Polanco (not pictured) during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

St. Louis Cardinals phenom JJ Wetherholt has been known for his elite bat but he has somehow been even better to kick off his young Major League Baseball career defensively.

That's not an exaggeration by any means. Wetherholt has played in nine big league games and is slashing .273/.359/.364 with one homer, four RBIs, two stolen bases, four walks and eight runs scored. He has certainly been everything that the Cardinals could've hoped for to kick off his rookie season at the top of the order.

But he hasn't just been good offensively. He has been elite defensively as well. In fact, Wetherholt and Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. are actually tied for the league lead in outs above average at three. Now, of course, the sample size is small, but this is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and Platinum Glove Award winner we're talking about in Witt. Wetherholt has been equally as good defensively as him through the season, from an outs above average standpoint.

That's wild.

The Cardinals infielder looks like an All-Star

Apr 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) makes a throw to first to complete a double play in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Wetherholt has been known for his bat. Defensively, he's been known as a solid player with room to grow. Instead, he has come out of the gate and has looked like one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. The closest second baseman in the National League to Wetherholt from an OAA point of view is Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs. Like Witt, Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner as well.

So, at least through his first nine games in the big leagues, Wetherholt has been playing at a Gold Glove-caliber level. If this keeps up, then we're talking about an All-Star-level player in the not-so-distant future. Potentially even in 2026.

As of right now, Alec Burlerson should be considered the favorite to represent the Cardinals in the All-Star Game this summer. But Wetherholt is playing at an elite level and has the buzz around him of being the team's top prospect. If he can carry the momentum he currently has throughout the first half of the season, he very well could be in the mix for an All-Star nod himself. That's just how good he has been to begin his young career.

You would think there would be some sort of learning curve, but Wetherholt hasn't skipped a beat. He looks like a 10-year veteran and he's playing like it too.