Hype train for Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt accelerating with elite prospect ranking

It feels like I'm writing about St. Louis Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt almost every week now, and for good reason.

The moment Wetherholt fell to the Cardinals in the 2024 MLB Draft, we knew the Cardinals had a special talent on their hands. Since then, all Wetherholt has done is rake throughout the minor league levels, and now, as he knocks on the door of an MLB debut, the game's most respected scouting outlet has given Wetherholt top-five prospect status.

Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt ranked as Baseball America's fifth-ranked prospect in all of MLB

Baseball America just did a refresh of their top 100 prospects in the game, and JJ Wetherholt took another jump in their rankings, now sitting as their fifth-best prospect in all of baseball behind Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, Jesus Made, and Jacob Misiorowski. With Misiorowski set to graduate from prospect status by season's end, that should mean Wetherholt slides into that fourth slot before the end of September.

Most Cardinals fans are eager to see Wetherholt in St. Louis, as his advanced bat has resulted in a .299/.417/.505 slash line with 13 home runs and 47 RBI in just 301 at-bats. Baseball America just posted a story today talking about how Wetherholt may now actually be a power over hit tool player, allowing his elite feel for swing decisions to guide his aggression on pitches in his sweet spots and a more contact approach for balls that he can't do damage with.

While prospects are prospects until we see them produce at the next level, I do think it's important to keep noting that the Cardinals have not had a prospect like Wetherholt in their system since they drafted J.D. Drew back in 1998. That doesn't mean Wetherholt will be a success for them, but they have not had this advanced of a prospect enter their system in over two decades.

Wetherholt was the presumed number one overall pick in 2024 prior to his hamstring injury that year, which caused him to slide in the MLB Draft. But so far in his professional career, all Wetherholt has done is hit, and he's doing so with the kind of exciting power potential that we saw from him at West Virginia in 2023, when he slashed .449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 24 doubles in just 268 plate appearances.

We may see Wetherholt get a promotion to St. Louis at the end of this month, but even if we don't, I very much expect to see Wetherholt on the Cardinals' roster come Opening Day in 2026. Wetherholt is the future for the Cardinals, and he very soon will be a part of their present as well. He'll likely move to either second base or third base due to Masyn Winn's presence at shortstop, and that will give the Cardinals two of the most exciting young infielders in today's game.