JJ Wetherholt should avoid this frustrating trend from top Cardinals prospects

The JJ Wetherholt hype train is at an all-time high in St. Louis. Major League Baseball's number-five and the Cardinals' number-one ranked prospect has exploded onto the scene with an electric opening day home run in his rookie debut and a walk-off base hit his second career game, and he is now solidifying himself as the team's missing piece at the top of lineup.

The Cardinals' young phenom is grabbing the national spotlight and helping showcase a young and exciting team that is more than a rebuild. As fun and exciting as this is, it may not last forever. Have any Cardinals fans asked themselves: What if Wetherholt struggles in the big leagues? What if he struggles so mightily that he becomes a liability to the team?

JJ Wetherholt should avoid a demotion that other Cardinals prospects have dealt with

This sounds ludicrous, given the player profile and what he is capable of. We have already seen it, and we are only a week into the 2026 MLB season. But young players move up in the system quicker than they theoretically should, and this can come back to cost them in development.

The Cardinals are very familiar with this in very recent memory. 2019 Texas League Player of the Year Dylan Carlson was called up during the 2020 COVID playoff push and became a regular starter during the 2021 season, in which he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. After what felt like the perfect time to call him up and develop him further at the next level, it ended up costing him. He hit a rapid decline over the next several seasons and is currently holding on to a major league roster spot with the archrival Chicago Cubs.

Nolan Gorman is another former top prospect in the organization who was brought up to contribute but has only failed time and time again. The elite power-hitting prospect has been struggling to post league-average offense over the past three seasons and is already posting a negative WAR after the first season.

Jordan Walker has finally overcome his struggles in 2026, as he may be the biggest disappointment for rushed development. Walker skyrocketed himself through the minor league system and has been a regular at the major league level since his age-21 season in 2023. Walker was not given a full season to prove himself, as he was constantly in the news cycle being sent down to Memphis to work on his swing and brought back up to show no results for it.

JJ Wetherholt has to overcome the organizational flaws and prove he is not faulty to this broken system. But this happens all across the league. Jackson Holliday, son of Cardinals Hall of Famer Matt Holliday, was the league's top overall prospect in 2024 and struggled so bad that he was brought back down to take pressure off him. The Orioles had a very hyped nucleus of young star talent and needed Holliday to take over second base and add to this core. The name and the expectations fit the role, but Holliday was not ready for that role.

This feels exactly like where Wetherholt finds himself currently. Brendan Donovan was traded, opening second base; Nolan Arenado was traded, which moved Nolan Gorman to third. Wetherholt was scorching minor league pitching and could not be stopped. He is an elite hitting prospect who shows he has nothing left to prove unless it is with the big league club. It is still very early on, and time will tell.

But what is for certain is that Wetherholt's remaining in St. Louis all season is not for certain.