The St. Louis Cardinals drafted shortstop/second baseman JJ Wetherholt seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Wetherholt has stormed through the Cardinals minor league system, and he is knocking on the door to get a potential promotion.
Many St. Louis fans thought he was going to get a potential September callup, but it turned out not to be the case. Even with him not getting a promotion to the big leagues this season, there is a real chance that he may not even be in the minor leagues by the time the 2026 MLB season rolls around.
MLB Insider Believes That the St. Louis Cardinals Top Prospect Has a Real Chance to be on 2026 Opening Day Roster
Jim Bowden of the Athletic wrote about his Top 50 MLB prospects. On mlb.com, Wetherholt is the sixth ranked overall prospect in all of baseball. Well, Bowden thinks that Bowden is the second-best prospect in all of baseball. The Cardinals have a reason to be excited for Wetherholt's future. Bowden said,
"Wetherholt can flat-out rake. He is major-league ready now and should have a real opportunity to make the Cardinals’ big-league roster out of spring training. He can play shortstop, but due to the presence of Masyn Winn, Wetherholt’s best position will be second base for St. Louis, where he should develop into an All-Star caliber player. He has the tools to reach base at a 40 percent clip thanks to his ability to spray the ball around the field and draw his share of walks. Combine that with plus power and speed and he should develop into at least a 20 home run/20 stolen base type of offensive talent with the athleticism and soft hands to become an above-average second baseman. He has all the necessary intangibles, as well."
With Wetherholt potentially being the Cardinals opening day second baseman in 2026, this will make there fanbase excited. He is currently 22 years old. Wetherholt has played for the Springfield Cardinals in Double-A and the Memphis Redbirds in Triple-A.
In 99 games in the minor leagues this year, Wetherholt has a .312 batting average with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs, along with 21 stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .425. The Cardinals are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight season and maybe Wetherholt will provide this fanbase optimism heading into the 2026 MLB season.