Jul 12, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; National League infielder JJ Wetherholt (26) of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases during the second inning against American League at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt Lands Lofty Prediction from Expert

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 10:43 AM ET

Despite the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals have let veterans go left and right this offseason, the fanbase should be very excited for the 2026 season.

It's tough to see Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras go, but this is going to be a fun team in 2026 to watch. It's loaded with young pieces trying to find their way. With the Cardinals trading all of the veterans away, they are clearly building towards the future and adding prospects left and right. We're now going to see the beginning stages of the next iteration of the Cardinals.

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Chaim Bloom has put his stamp on the organization already. Now, the next step is seeing which of the young guys can be core pieces moving forward. As the 2026 season approaches, there is no doubt that No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt is the guy fans should be fired up the most about. He's one of the best overall prospects in baseball and has a shot at a consistent role in 2026 in the majors. He has so much hype that The Athletic's Keith Law actually said that of all of the National League prospects, Wetherholt is the guy he is most confident will win a batting title one day.

The Cardinals have a bright future

Rich Storry-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals couldn’t believe their luck when they landed Wetherholt with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, as the West Virginia shortstop had missed a big chunk of his junior season with a recurring hamstring injury that often limited him even when he was able to play," Law wrote. "St. Louis skipped him over High A and had him start his first full pro season in Double A, where he hit .300/.425/.466 with more walks than strikeouts, and he hit even better after a promotion to Triple A just before the All-Star break, hitting .314/.416/.562. He’s not going to play shortstop, definitely not with Masyn Winn in front of him, but has the hands and instincts to play second or third and will stay on the dirt.

"Wetherholt doesn’t have huge raw power, much closer to average than plus, but he squares the ball up very consistently and his hard-hit (49 percent) and Barrel (12.6 percent) rates were well above the median in Triple A, so he might end up with more in-game power in the end. I wouldn’t want to change anything about his approach, as he benefits by using the whole field and is very selective until he gets to two strikes, when he expands the zone more than a hitter with his hard-contact profile should. Of all the NL prospects, I’m most confident he’ll win a batting average title someday."

Even if the Cardinals don't contend in 2026, it's going to be an exciting season.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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