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 Updates For JJ Wetherholt, Liam Doyle And More

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The top of the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system is loaded.

Although the Cardinals obviously didn't have the season that they wanted to have in 2025, there is a lot of hope down in the minors right now. That starts with JJ Wetherholt. This is a guy who had fans clamoring for his big league promotion about a year after he began his professional career, that's how good he played in his first, full professional season.

Wetherholt ultimately didn't get promoted to the big leagues, but he impressed. Wetherholt played in played in 109 total games this season and slashed .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 59 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, 28 doubles, and 82 runs scored. This kid is the real deal and it would be somewhat surprising if he didn't break camp with the Cardinals in 2026.

The Cardinals have some future stars

Rich Storry-Imagn Images

MLB Pipeline released its updated list of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Wetherholt rose from No. 6 to No. 5 on the list. He wasn't the only one who made the list, in fact, the Cardinals landed four players in the top 100 including 2025 first-round pick Liam Doyle (No. 36), catcher Rainiel Rodriguez (No. 55), and catcher Leonardo Bernal (No. 92).

New MLB Pipeline Top 100

#5- JJ Wetherholt
#36- Liam Doyle
#55- Rainiel Rodriguez
#92- Leonardo Bernal
— Redbird Farmhands (@RedbirdFarmhand) October 2, 2025

Wetherholt is obviously the guy to talk about the most, but Doyle is an intriguing guy himself. He was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Doyle made his professional debut down the stretch with Class-A Palm Beach and then was promoted all the way up to Double-A shortly afterward. He's a high-end starting pitcher who clearly already is on an inside track to the big leagues if he was already in Double-A in 2025. He doesn't seem likely to break camp with the Cardinals, but he's someone to watch next year.

Rodriguez's projected timeline for an MLB debut is 2028, per MLB.com. Bernal is closer to the majors and is projected for a 2026 MLB debut. The 2025 season wasn't great for the Cardinals, but these prospects are coming and should help at some point.

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

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