Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Top Prospect Primed for Huge Rookie Year in St. Louis

The Cardinals have a lot riding on the shoulders of top prospect JJ Wetherholt this offseason...
Zach Pressnell|
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 one of the more interesting teams to follow in spring training because their roster has a lot of new names and faces ahead of opening day.

The Cardinals traded players like Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray to garner a haul of prospects to help bolster the future of the team.

This has placed a lot of pressure on the team's young pitchers and top prospect JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt is the top prospect in St. Louis and he's expected to debut with the team early in the season.

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The Athletic's Keith Law recently listed Wetherholt as the No. 2 rookie in the league this season, suggesting he could make a huge impact on the Cardinals this year.

JJ Wetherholt has the chance to make an impact in St. Louis

St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherhol
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (77) talks with left fielder Nathan Church (27) after batting practice during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"The trade of Brendan Donovan seems to open up a path for Wetherholt to win the Opening Day second-base job, which he should, as the Cardinals’ 2024 first-round pick has hit everywhere so far — and played close to a full season last year, vitiating concerns about his durability after a nagging hamstring injury wrecked his junior year at West Virginia," Law wrote. "He hit .300/.425/.466 in Double A last year, then .314/.416/.562 in Triple A, with a hard-hit rate at the latter stop of 48.4 percent.

"He’s going to be an above-average or better defender at second, and if nothing else should hit for a high average. The National League Rookie of the Year field is loaded already, but he’s my pick for the favorite right now."

Wetherholt has an argument to be the top ranked rookie in the league this year, but Law listed Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen at No. 1.

Either way, Wetherholt has the speed, power, bat to ball skills, and defense to be a five tool star in St. Louis. He was one of the better hitters in all of the minor leagues last year and the young star looks even better early this season.

If he can slot in as the everyday second baseman from opening day until the end of the year, Wetherholt would be a very good candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award.

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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