Don’t be surprised if Cardinals make bold move with this top prospect in 2026

It’s October, and there are only 4 teams now who aren't thinking about next year. 

The Cardinals will think about next year and the year after. If 2025 was a runway year, some players stalled out. As a new regime takes over, some players will find themselves removed from the runway, and new players will try to take off. 

Next year would be the perfect year to go bold and have at the top of the order someone who has had only 138 games of minor league baseball. 

JJ Wetherholt may force his way onto the Cardinals' Opening Day roster

The Cardinals selected J.J. Wetherholt seventh overall in the 2024 draft. Some scouts said he was the best pure hitter in the draft. After the draft, he finished the year playing 29 games and hit .295. 

He started last year at AA and played 62 games, with a .300 BA, an OBP of .425, an OPS of .892, and a SLUG of .466. This was enough to earn the 2025 Texas League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

If that wasn’t enough, he was promoted on July 7th to AAA. Even at the higher level with better pitching, he improved. He hit for a .314 BA, .562 SLUG, and an OPS of .978. 

What makes Wetherholt different is that he is an advanced hitter with a polished approach. Only Burleson, Arenado, and Donovan had a lower strikeout percentage. No one had a better walk rate. No one had a better on-base percentage. 

On the field, Wetherholt provides position versatility, having played second base, shortstop, and third base in the minors, giving the Cardinals flexibility on a roster currently in rebuild mode.

His baseball IQ and natural leadership abilities have stood out. Bloom said, “He’s impressive and he’s got a chance to be really good.” Oliver Marmol highlighted Wetherholt’s athleticism and versatility, stating, “There’s more third [base] in his future. We are just trying to create versatility. He’s athletic enough to move around a little bit. I would rather him get comfortable here than try to learn a new position at the major-league level.”

That last sentence suggests the Cardinals will treat Wetherholt much differently than Jordan Walker. He already plays three positions, so there is no need to have him learn a new one. He should be comfortable anywhere on the infield. The second difference is that I don’t think the Cardinals will try to adjust his swing to get more power. Baseball America rated his power at 55 on the 20-80 scale, which shows slightly above-average power potential. Wetherholt is known more for his elite hit tool—graded 65—and his ability to consistently drive the ball with both authority and precision rather than pure power. His job will be to get on base. That is something you don’t mess with. 

If the Cardinals can clear out some of the stalled pieces still sitting on the runway (think Nolan Gorman) or do what they couldn’t last year and find a trade partner for Nolan Arenado, there is every chance that we might see a new face on the infield and leading off on opening day. 

Making this more of a probability is the fact that Chaim Bloom thinks so too. 

Bloom said, “He’s impressive and he’s got a chance to be really good,” Bloom said of Wetherholt, who split time at second, third and shortstop with Springfield and Memphis. “We’re looking forward to seeing what he does in [Spring Training] camp, because he’s in a position where he can come in and make a really strong impression and start his big league career sooner rather than later. We’ll see how that shakes out, but he’s a really impressive player and he’s a really impressive, poised player.”