Cardinals' Top Prospect Continues Spring Bid to Make Opening Day Roster

He's seemingly making the Cardinals' decision very easy

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are seemingly entering the 2026 season in a bit of a rebuild after trading away several notable veterans during the offseason. And one young player who's expected to be a big part of that rebuild is already stating his case to be a mainstay in the Cardinals' big league lineup.

JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis' No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 5 overall prospect for 2026, cracked his second home run of the spring in the Cardinals' 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. The lefty-swinging infielder drove a 94.8 mph fastball on the outer half of the plate 350 feet to the opposite field for a go-ahead two-run homer. The 23-year-old now has a 1.091 OPS in nine games this spring.

There's been a ton of buzz around Wetherholt in spring training, and he's seemingly living up to the hype so far. But the Cardinals still haven't confirmed whether the 2024 first-round draft pick will be on the Opening Day roster or starting the year in the minors.

Will JJ Wetherholt be the Cardinals' Opening Day second baseman?

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

Wetherholt has passed the eye test at the plate so far this spring, building on a strong first full season in the minors last year. The 2024 seventh-overall draft pick hit .306 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games for Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in 2025. But the 23-year-old played most of those games at shortstop, and St. Louis already has Gold Glove Award winner Masyn Winn locked in at that position.

Wetherholt has experience playing both second and third base in the minors and college. It seems like second base could be his defensive home for the foreseeable future, especially if the Cardinals want to get their top prospect's bat in the major league lineup as soon as possible.

The young infielder recently discussed adjusting to playing second base this spring in an interview with MLB Network, saying there's "some footwork things or just positioning that I gotta get better at." But based on his results at the plate in spring training, if the Cardinals have seen enough from Wetherholt defensively, there doesn't seem to be much stopping St. Louis from making him the team's Opening Day second baseman this year.