Inside The Cardinals

Members Of Cardinals Organization Believe Top Prospect Could Be 'Fast Riser'

St. Louis is hopeful for the youngster's future
Nate Hagerty|
Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are laden with youngsters who haven't quite seized their full potential but hopefully, better days are ahead for the 11-time World Series champions.

For instance, former top prospects Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker have been inconsistent offensively, with injuries and never-ending hitting slumps plaguing the start of their big-league careers.

This upcoming season will be a major test for the club's youth core. Gorman, who will likely man second base, could soon have to compete for his position with a young rising star.

"The No. 1-ranked prospect in the Cardinals system (No. 23 overall) wasted no time in showing why he has earned that lofty ranking, pounding out a single and a three-run home run in his Major League Baseball Spring Training debut," MLB.com's John Denton wrote Sunday. "Wetherholt, the No. 7 pick in last year’s MLB Draft, has also impressed the Cardinals with his analytical and studious approach to the game, leading some in the organization to believe that he will be a fast riser through the system. His ability to play both shortstop and second base offers the kind of positional versatility that the Cardinals covet."

Wetherholt dominated at the University of West Virginia, earning the Division I batting title and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after slashing .449/.517/.787 with 16 homers and 36 steals in 2023.

The 22-year-old comes with high expectations -- labeled the "best pure hitter" in the 2024 draft class, according to MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Wetherholt.

Despite having only batted .295 with seven extra-base hits including two home runs, 20 RBIs and a .805 OPS in 29 games played for Single-A Palm Beach in 2024, Wetherholt has the potential to rise to his MLB debut quickly.

With the Cardinals' current direction, the second base position could become Wetherholt's if neither Gorman nor Thomas Saggese rises to the occasion. The phenom still has ways to go but if he remains steady offensively, it might not be long before we see him suit up at Busch Stadium.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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