Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

Wetherholt won the Division I batting title (.449 average) and Big 12 Player of the Year honors during his breakout sophomore year at West Virginia and followed that up with solid showings with Team USA and in the Cape Cod League. Hamstring issues dogged him from repeating that performance as a junior, but he still posted a .331/.472/.589 line in 36 games. Considered a candidate to go first overall, Wetherholt went seventh to the Cardinals in the 2024 Draft and did not skip a beat in pro ball, hitting .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers in 109 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in his first full season.

Looking relaxed and loose in an upright, open stance, Wetherholt enviably combines good plate discipline with an ability to manipulate the barrel and put consistent strong contact into play. He didn’t whiff more than 26 percent of the time against any pitch type in the upper Minors (per Synergy), and while he doesn’t reach huge, top-end exit velocities, the right mix of angles and generally hard-hit balls helped his power show up in a bigger way at Triple-A, boosting his already well-known offensive profile.

The 5-foot-10 infielder moves with above-average speed, and he has been efficient on the basepaths as a pro. Wetherholt has been primarily a shortstop since his final season in Morgantown, but the Cardinals moved him to second and third last season -- partly to get him exposure to different angles off the bat and partly because his glove won’t knock Masyn Winn off the six. When he gets his feet under him, Wetherholt can exhibit strong throws across the diamond, but he’ll need to work on accuracy when on the move. His offensive skills are worth making room for, as he's a potential .300 hitter with 20-20 ability.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

Wetherholt's breakout year at West Virginia came as a sophomore when he won the Division I batting title with a .449 average and finished with a 1.304 OPS on his way to capturing Big 12 Player of the Year honors. After solid turns with Team USA and Chatham on Cape Cod, he was set to be a highly followed junior, but hamstring issues held him back from a full spring. He still slashed .331/.472/.589 with eight homers and a 17/30 K/BB ratio in 36 games and was considered a No. 1 overall candidate right up to Draft Day. The Cardinals selected him seventh overall and sent him to Single-A Palm Beach, where he hit .295/.405/.400 in 29 contests.

Starting slightly open from the left side before closing his stance with a leg raise, Wetherholt had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft class, running as high a contact rate as 89.7 percent as a sophomore in 2023. He continued to show a keen eye in the Florida State League and performed well with an all-fields approach against most pitch types. He ran a 104.5 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity, exhibiting the above-average power that kicks his offensive profile up a notch.

The former Mountaineer is still an above-average runner down the line despite the injuries. He opened his college career with time at second and third but moved to short in 2024, a transition he continued in the Minors. He has the arm and athleticism to handle the six but will bump into Masyn Winn at the position if he continues up the St. Louis chain, at which time a move elsewhere shouldn't be a major concern.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60 

A Pittsburgh area native, Wetherholt stayed in the region by heading to West Virginia for college ball. He had a solid freshman season, then broke out as a sophomore, winning the Division I batting title and earning Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after slashing .449/.517/.787 with 16 homers and 36 steals. He performed well both for Team USA and in a brief stint in the Cape Cod League to set the stage for a big junior season. Excitement for an encore was dashed as a recurring hamstring issue that first cropped up over the summer sidelined him repeatedly in the spring. He was still considered a potential No. 1 overall pick right up to Draft day, but went seventh overall to the Cardinals, signing for $6.9 million. 

Wetherholt might have been the best pure hitter in the class, and there were some area scouts who think he's the best amateur bat they've ever seen. The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and was showing impressive exit velocities in the early days of his pro career. 

A plus runner who is a legitimate base-stealing threat when healthy, the only real question about Wetherholt has been his defensive home. He was hoping to improve that area of his profile by playing shortstop for the first time this spring, but the hamstring issue kept him from seeing too much time on the dirt. Some feel he has the arm and feel to do it, while he'll have to focus on being consistent in making the routine plays. He should get a lot of shortstop run in the Cards system right up until he bumps up against Masyn Winn at the six in St. Louis. 

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

A Pittsburgh area native, Wetherholt stayed in the region by heading to West Virginia for college ball. He had a solid freshman season then broke out as a sophomore, winning the Division I batting title and earning Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after hitting .449/.517/.787 with 16 homers and 36 steals. He performed well both for Team USA and in a brief stint in the Cape Cod League to set the stage for a big junior season. Excitement for an encore has been dashed as a recurring hamstring issue that first cropped up over the summer has sidelined him repeatedly this spring.

Wetherholt might be the best pure hitter in the class and there are some area scouts who think he's the best amateur bat they've ever seen. The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and should have at least average power at the next level.

A plus runner who is a legitimate base-stealing threat when healthy, the only real question about Wetherholt has been his defensive home. He was hoping to improve that area of his profile by playing shortstop for the first time this spring, but the hamstring issue kept him from seeing too much time on the dirt. Some feel he has the arm and feel to do it, while he'll have to focus on being consistent in making the routine plays. Even if he profiles as a second baseman, though, his bat belongs near the top of Draft boards.

Awards

MiLB Awards All-MiLB Prospect First Team

Year	Team
2025

INT Top MLB Prospect

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America Triple-A All-Star

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America Double-A All-Star

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America Minor League All-Star

Year	Team
2025

TEX Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

TEX Most Valuable Player

Year	Team
2025

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
09/08/2024

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Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	01/26/2026	St. Louis Cardinals invited non-roster SS JJ Wetherholt to spring training.
	07/11/2025	National League Futures activated SS JJ Wetherholt.
	07/07/2025	SS JJ Wetherholt assigned to Memphis Redbirds from Springfield Cardinals.
	03/31/2025	SS JJ Wetherholt assigned to Springfield Cardinals from Palm Beach Cardinals.
	03/06/2025	activated SS JJ Wetherholt.
	01/16/2025	St. Louis Cardinals invited non-roster SS JJ Wetherholt to spring training.
	07/30/2024	SS JJ Wetherholt assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from FCL Cardinals.
	07/23/2024	SS JJ Wetherholt assigned to FCL Cardinals.
	07/23/2024	St. Louis Cardinals signed SS JJ Wetherholt.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated 2B JJ Wetherholt.
	06/11/2024	2B JJ Wetherholt assigned to College Workout.
	04/08/2024	2B JJ Wetherholt assigned to West Virginia Mountaineers.
	06/26/2023	2B JJ Wetherholt assigned to USAB Stripes Team.
	06/08/2023	2B JJ Wetherholt assigned to College Workout.
	04/11/2022	2B JJ Wetherholt assigned to West Virginia Mountaineers.