Cardinals Look Like Geniuses Thanks to Rookie JJ Wetherholt

May 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a two-run home run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Cardinals Look Like Geniuses Thanks to Rookie JJ Wetherholt

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 13, 2026 8:26 AM ET

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JJ Wetherholt is a game-changer for the St. Louis Cardinals, despite the fact that he's just 23 years old. There's no other way to say it.

Wetherholt entered Spring Training with all of the expectations in the world as the club's No. 1 overall prospect and he has lived up to the hype since. Wetherholt earned a spot on the big league roster out of camp and has been one of the club's best overall players, despite the fact that he has played in just 41 games in the majors.

The young infielder continues to find ways to impress. Sometimes, it's with his glove. Right now, he's in the 99th percentile across the league with six outs above average. If that number holds throughout the season, he very well may earn his first Gold Glove Award as a rookie.

JJ Wetherholt Keeps Finding Ways To Impress

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Sometimes, he flashes his elite offensive skillset. Tuesday was an example of this as he blasted his eighth homer of the season to help carry the Cardinals past the Athletics.

JJ Wetherholt adds on for the @Cardinals! pic.twitter.com/Gp0GeGrwYP
— MLB (@MLB) May 13, 2026

Wetherholt has the second-most homers on the Cardinals with eight. Only right fielder Jordan Walker has more with 11. Now, Wetherholt is slashing .242/.356/.427 with a .783 OPS, eight homers, 22 RBIs, five stolen bases, five doubles and 32 runs scored in 41 games. Despite the fact that he's still new to the majors, Wetherholt has the second-highest wins above replacement on the team right now at 2.1, just behind Walker at 2.5.

Both Wetherholt and Walker are 23 years old. They should just keep getting better. And if that does happen, the Cardinals have found the guys to build the core around. Walker, Wetherholt, Iván Herrera, Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson are the offensive pieces to build around. They all have big upside and are on the younger side. Burleson is the only guy in this group older than 25 years old. Burleson is 27 years old.

For the Cardinals, the trades of the offseason were difficult because the club dealt away four different All-Stars. But they were a blessing as well. In fact, the front office actually looks like geniuses right now simply because of the fact that they opened up space for Wetherholt to make the jump to the majors. If the Cardinals hadn't traded Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, how would the club have space for Wetherholt in the lineup? The young infielder is getting valuable experience right now and already looks better than he did on Opening Day. All in all, it has just been a great season for Wetherholt so far.

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

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