5 questions Chaim Bloom must answer in his first offseason running the Cardinals

Question 3: Where will JJ Wetherholt start the 2026 season?

While the major-league team hasn't been able to accomplish much this year, the minors have been rife with success.

Pitchers like Ixan Henderson, Brycen Mautz, Tekoah Roby (before his injury), and Braden Davis, among others, have all had excellent seasons. The Cardinals also bolstered their pitching depth by drafting Liam Doyle as their first-round selection.

The position players also had a strong showing. Rainiel Rodriguez established himself as a consensus top-100 prospect, Jimmy Crooks made his MLB debut, and top prospect JJ Wetherholt continued to prove his worth as a top prospect in all of baseball.

Wetherholt, 23, started the year with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. He slashed .300/.425/.500 with seven home runs in 62 games. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Memphis and only improved his stats. He would go on to slash .314/.416/.562 with 10 home runs and 225 RBIs in only 47 games for the Redbirds.

Wetherholt was recently named the Texas League Player of the year, the Cardinals' fourth consecutive recipient of this recognition. He's a top prospect in all of baseball, he's a polished hitter with positional versatility, and he's clearly ready for the majors. But will he make his debut early next year?

Chaim Bloom has historically been methodical and patient when it comes to promoting top prospects. Clearly, JJ Wetherholt is ready for the challenge of the majors despite the gap between Triple-A and MLB being so wide right now. He may struggle at the beginning, but he could very easily settle in once he familiarizes himself with the league.

The front office has been reluctant to promote Wetherholt this year even when key infielders like Brendan Donovan got injured down the stretch. Wetherholt doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter; other players who are Rule 5 eligible would be added first to protect them. Instead, Chaim could wait until there's space and a greater need to bring him up in 2026.

If JJ Wetherholt has a strong spring, something he's capable of doing, the clamors for the club's top prospect to start the year in the majors will be loud. Will Chaim Bloom listen, or will he take a more calculated approach?