Cardinals No. 1 Prospect Receives Interesting Prediction

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Henry Edgeller | Last updated May 23, 2025 11:30 AM ET

St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt has been quickly making a name for himself in the minor leagues. So much so, the 22-year old infielder was listed at No. 4 in a recent Bleacher Report article, predicting the Top 30 MLB second basemen in 2030.

The young star is playing exceptionally well in Double-A Springfield, slashing .290/.381/.449, with just a 12.6% strikeout rate. He is expected to make his way to St. Louis in 2026, likely as a second baseman, with Masyn Winn guarding his primary position at shortstop.

Wetherholt was the No. 7 overall pick out of West Virginia by the Cardinals in the 2024 draft. Taken as a shortstop, he still plays as the captain of the infield in the minor leagues. He has four games of second base experience under his belt at the pro level, as well as a full season’s experience in his sophomore year of college.

In 2030, Wetherholt will be 27 years old, likely with three years of major league service. Ahead of him on the list are Cleveland Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana, Baltimore Orioles Jackson Holliday, and Boston Red Sox Kristian Campbell. Bazzana was taken first in the 2024 draft, the only middle infielder prior to Wetherholt.

Cardinals No. 5 prospect, Thomas Saggese, also made the list at No. 26. Acquired from the Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery trade in 2023, Saggese is playing in Triple-A Memphis.

He has seen the show already, previously filling in for Masyn Winn and Brendan Donovan on the injured list in April. Saggese slashed a spectacular .341/.364/.512 in 14 games. Donovan, who will be 33 years old come 2030, was left off the list.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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