Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals’ Next Cornerstone Piece Looks Like J.J. Wetherholt

St. Louis Cardinals fans should be very excited about the future of the organization.
Patrick McAvoy|
Mar 5, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left feilder JJ Wetherholt (87) runs to second base against the Houston Astros during the second inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images
Mar 5, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left feilder JJ Wetherholt (87) runs to second base against the Houston Astros during the second inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images | Rich Storry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt looks like the real deal.

He hasn’t touched a big league diamond yet, but the perception around Wetherholt is that he is going to be very good when he ultimately makes the jump to the big leagues. On Wednesday, Baseball America released its updated list of the top 100 prospects in baseball heading into the 2026 season and the Cardinals phenom came in at No. 3 in baseball, behind Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers.

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Wetherholt took part in the Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up festivities Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 and drummed up a lot of excitement. He also acknowledged this offseason is different because rather than just trying to gain experience this offseason, the goal is to make the big league club.

The Cardinals have a lot to be excited about

National League infielder JJ Wetherholt (26) of the St. Louis Cardinals
Jul 12, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; National League infielder JJ Wetherholt (26) of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases during the second inning against American League at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"It’s completely different now; last year was to have the experience, and this year it’s to make the team,” Wetherholt said. “Simply put, [making the team] is what I’m trying to do, and everything is going to look different. This year, I’m trying to make a team and continue those relationships I built.”

Wetherholt isn't the only prospect who fans should be excited about, though. St. Louis was well-represented on Baseball America's new list of the top 100 prospects. Wetherholt was the highest, but he's not all. The Cardinals landed three of the top 35 spots and four of the top 55 spots. Beyond Wetherholt, left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle came in at No. 33 and catcher Rainiel Rodriguez came in at No. 35. Outfielder Joshua Baez came in at No. 54 on this year's top 100 prospect list from Baseball America.

The future is bright in St. Louis. The last three seasons haven't been kind to the organization in the standings, but it has helped to bring these guys to town. Wetherholt was the No. 7 pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft and Doyle was the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, for example.

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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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