Cardinals Could Promote No. 1 Prospect To MLB This Season

St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt was the franchise’s lone representative in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Futures Game on Saturday, and Wetherholt didn’t disappoint.

Hitting leadoff for the National League side, Wetherholt smashed the third pitch he saw from Cleveland Guardians prospect Parker Messick in the bottom of the first inning into left-center field for a double. Wetherholt’s laser double had a 105.9 mph exit velocity.

Wetherholt ended up 1-for-4 on the day, but he hit the ball hard on other occasions. Here’s what both The Athletic’s Keith Law and FanSided’s Thomas Gauvain had to say about Wetherholt’s impressive showing.

Law:

“Wetherholt played the whole game, first as the DH and then as a second baseman. He had two of the hardest-hit balls of the day, a double to left-center on a slider from a lefty and a lineout to center on 95 middle-away. I’m not surprised — he can hit, always has when healthy — but it’s good to see him do it against premium stuff.”

Gauvain:

“JJ went 1-4 on the night with a strikeout, but one of his outs was a lineout to center field that was hit at 102.4 MPH with a launch angle of 20 degrees. The ball travelled 363 feet. Wetherholt hit this pitch off Noah Schultz, the 17th-overall prospect in all of baseball and a player who is nearing the majors at the young age of just 21. … Wetherholt's start in this game is coming on the heels of his recent promotion to Triple-A Memphis. JJ was moved to Memphis on July 7th after slashing .300/.425/.466 in 275 plate appearances with Double-A Springfield. He hit seven home runs, scored 39 times, and drove in 34 runners in 62 games, and he added 14 stolen bases to his gaudy numbers with Springfield.”

Gauvain also touched on Wetherholt’s recent production and speculated about where he might play once he lands in the big leagues.

“He's played primarily shortstop as a prospect, a spot currently occupied by Masyn Winn for the major-league team,” Gauvain said. “He could play third base or second base very capably. Wetherholt's promotion to Triple-A was much deserved, and he's already started his time there off well through only three games. Wetherholt has a .364 batting average and a 1.326 OPS in only 12 at-bats. He's hit a double, triple, and home run already while striking out two times and walking once. JJ Wetherholt is knocking on the door of the majors, and his showing at the Futures Game is making his arrival to St. Louis even more imminent. If he can continue to put up strong numbers at the highest level in the minors, Wetherholt could find himself making his MLB debut by the end of the year.”

If St. Louis slips even further in the standings during the second half, could Cardinals fans see Wetherholt promoted to The Show this season? Gauvain seems to think it’s very possible.