Cardinals Strike Gold; Landed St. Louis' Next Star Infielder

"If you could keep only one player in the Cardinals organization right now, it would have to be JJ Wetherholt. Drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has been as good or better than advertised, and his elite production at both Double-A and Triple-A this year has fans over the moon about the recently turned 23-year-old," Jacobs wrote. "Every scouting outlet has him as a top 10 prospect in the sport now, with most slotting him in their top 5 or even their top 3.

"Wetherholt was one of the best pure hitters we've seen come out of college in quite some time, and did so with incredible pitch selection and power to all fields. Pair that with the ability to play shortstop, second base, or third base, and the Cardinals have a future star on their hands. I fully expect Wetherholt to be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster in 2026, and by the end of the year, he could be their lead-off hitter or hitting the middle of their order."

Wetherholt has all the makings of a star. If he can put the pieces together at the big league level, the Cardinals should have an All-Star infielder for years to come. The young prospect plays a solid defensive second base, shortstop, or third base. But his bat is what makes him one of the better prospects in the game.

Either way, at this point, all Wetherholt has shown is potential. He has the potential to be a star, but none of it truly matters until the Cardinals call him up to the big leagues and give him the chance to prove it. That'll likely be opening day next season, which should have the St. Louis faithful excited for the entire offseason.