Minor League Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospect JJ Wetherholt Achieves Feat Not Done in 16 Years

Wetherholt, a first-round draft pick in 2024, was promoted to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on Monday.
Jami Leabow|
Feb 25, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter JJ Wetherholt (87) prepares for batting practice before a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., on Feb. 25, 2025.
Feb 25, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter JJ Wetherholt (87) prepares for batting practice before a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., on Feb. 25, 2025. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

The names JJ Wetherholt and Brett Wallace now are linked in St. Louis Cardinals history.

On Monday, Wetherholt became the first Cardinals position player to reach Triple-A within one year of being selected in the MLB draft since Wallace in 2009.

Pitcher Michael Wacha was the most recent pitcher to achieve the feat, that achievement coming in 2013.

The Cardinals selected Wetherholt with the No. 7 overall pick in 2024 out of college at West Virginia, where he won the NCAA batting championship as a sophomore with a .449 average.

MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 1 prospect in the Cardinals’ system, No. 19 overall. He was selected to represent the National League in the Futures Game on Saturday.

The Texas League will not be sorry to see the 22-year-old go.

In 62 games with Double-A Springfield, Wetherholt had a slash line of.300/.425/.466 with an .891 OPS. He had 34 RBIs and 14 stolen bases, and his OBP and OPS lead the Texas League.

He debuted last season at Single-A Palm Beach, posting two home runs and 20 RBIs in 29 games while batting .295.

His final game at Springfield is one worth remembering. On Sunday, in a 7-3 win over Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City Royals affiliate), he went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three runs driven in. It was his first multi-homer game as a professional.

This is what MLB Pipeline says about the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Wetherholt:

“Starting slightly open from the left side before closing his stance with a leg raise, Wetherholt had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft class, running as high a contact rate as 89.7 percent as a sophomore in 2023. He continued to show a keen eye in the Florida State League and performed well with an all-fields approach against most pitch types. He ran a 104.5 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity, exhibiting the above-average power that kicks his offensive profile up a notch.”

The Cardinals have reason to be excited about Wetherholt one day arriving in St. Louis.

And what happened to Wallace? The Cardinals traded him 13 months after the draft in the deal that sent Matt Holliday to St. Louis. He played in 494 career games over six seasons with the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres, retiring with an average of .238.

The Redbirds open a six-game home series Tuesday against Charlotte (Chicago White Sox affiliate).

Related MiLB Stories

DAD'S DECISION: Druw Jones is a former No. 2 overall MLB draft pick. That isn't a guarantee of how much time he'll see in the WBC, apparently. CLICK HERE

AFTER JAC: Catcher Carter Jensen has been promoted to Triple-A Omaha. He is the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Kansas City minor league system. CLICK HERE

FUTURES GAME: An Atlanta Braves icon will manage the National League minor leaguers in the Futures Game in July. CLICK HERE

Published | Modified
Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

Home/NEWS