Re-ranking the 10 most valuable young players in Cardinals' organization

#1 - JJ Wetherholt (Previous ranking: #5)

If you could keep only one player in the Cardinals organization right now, it would have to be JJ Wetherholt.

Drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has been as good or better than advertised, and his elite production at both Double-A and Triple-A this year has fans over the moon about the recently turned 23-year-old.

In 492 plate appearances between Springfield and Memphis this year, Wetherholt has slashed .304/.421/.502 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI while swiping 23 bags along the way. His 151 wRC+ is an eye-popping number, and as the season went on, he became even more of a power hitter, raising his .466 SLG at Double-A to a .547 SLG at Triple-A due to becoming more aggressive on pitches he knows he can hit.

Every scouting outlet has him as a top 10 prospect in the sport now, with most slotting him in their top 5 or even their top 3. Wetehrholt was one of the best pure hitters we've seen come out of college in quite some time, and did so with incredible pitch selection and power to all fields. Pair that with the ability to play shortstop, second base, or third base, and the Cardinals have a future star on their hands.

I fully expect Wetherholt to be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster in 2026, and by the end of the year, he could be their lead-off hitter or hitting the middle of their order. He's a special hitting prospect that they truly haven't had since Oscar Taveras, and he's going to be a major part of this rebuild that Chaim Bloom is starting.

Luckily for Wetherholt, unlike others Cardinals prospects of the past, the club won't have to have him produce right away. With them finally embracing a rebuild, it gives Wetherholt the ability to fail, learn from his mistakes, and grow as a player without the pressure of needing to win every day. Yes, the Cardinals would love if Wetherholt can help them win sooner than we had thought, but he's not being relied on to make that happen right away.

But something tells me Wetherholt isn't phased by the pressure anyway. In fact, I'm guessing he would prefer those kinds of expectations. He's got the personality, drive, talent, and production thus far to be a star, and that's why he's the most valuable player in the Cardinals organization before even making his MLB debut.