St. Louis Cardinals 2024 first-round pick JJ Wetherholt is impressing coaches and executives in his first Spring Training. Just eight months ago, the Cardinals selected Wetherholt as the seventh overall pick. The West Virginia University product is giving the organization confidence in that decision early on.
The Infielder’s Electric Play
In Wetherholt’s first Spring Training game, he belted a home run and got two hits and two runs in three at-bats.
“It felt better than my first hit, for sure, because that was a little blooper,” Wetherholt told reporters after the game about his home run. “I knew I hit it pretty well, but you never know at this stadium because the ball doesn’t fly too well here. So I was just tracking and thinking, ‘This is either going out or it’s getting caught.’”
Since that game, Wetherholt hasn’t recorded another hit. However, he’s impacted the game in other ways. In 16 at-bats this Spring, he’s walked four times, stolen two bases, and touched home plate four times. He’s also dazzled with his defense.
#STLCards manager Oli Marmol raving about JJ Wetherholt, the top-ranked prospect in the organization: “I’m highly impressed with JJ. While we have him here, I want to get him in as much as possible and see how he handles certain things. Up to this point, he’s a pro. …” (MORE)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 6, 2025
“I’m highly impressed with JJ. While we have him here, I want to get him in as much as possible and see how he handles certain things. Up to this point, he’s a pro,” Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton. “It is a nice trait when you are young and you are comfortable in your own skin. He knows what he brings to the table, he’s confident with it and he is completely comfortable with what he does not know.”
Studious Approach to the Game
The Cardinals top overall prospect has been impressing the Cardinals staff with his approach to the game. Coaches like Marmol have raved about how willing he is to ask questions and be coachable.
“I like those guys where it’s just everything is baseball and they love the game and love studying it,” Marmol told Denton. “He seems to fit into that [mold] where he’s going to make fast adjustments. He’s not going to go home and not think about what just happened. He’s going to come back [tomorrow] as a better version of himself every day.”
Important Piece of the Future
Wetherholt fits in nicely with the Cardinals long-term plan. The infielder can play well at both shortstop and second base. The Cardinals appear to have their long-term shortstop in Masyn Winn. They also could have their long-term third baseman in Thomas Saggese, who they acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Texas Rangers for Jordan Montgomery. Nolan Gorman is a question mark in the infield. Wetherholt could be a fixture in the Cardinals infield moving into the future.
One of the highest-rated batting prospects in the 2024 draft, the Cardinals felt lucky to land Wetherholt. After a successful collegiate career, he has the potential to rise quickly through the Cardinals minor league system. This Spring, Wetherholt is a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. The experience will likely base how quickly the Cardinals feel they can move him up.
“He is gleaning a ton of wisdom from the older guys in conversations and also by observing,” Marmol told Denton. “He’s made the most out of his camp so far.”
Main Photo Credits: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
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