JJ Wetherholt hits leadoff double in MLB Futures Game

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Griffin McVeigh | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 6:55 PM ET

Before baseball’s best players arrive in Atlanta, the game’s top prospects are competing at Truist Field. Saturday brings us the MLB Futures Game as the next generation goes head-to-head. One of them is JJ Wetherholt, currently in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Wetherholt was slotted to hit leadoff for the National League by manager Chipper Jones. The move instantly paid off as Wetherholt hit a double off the wall. He could have maybe expanded to a triple after a wide turn around second base before putting on the brakes.

The ball came off Wetherholt’s bat at just under 106 miles per hour. A loud introduction for the Futures Game, people back in St. Louis have to love seeing this from the organization’s top prospect. You can check out the full moment here.

How's that for a way to start the Futures Game?!@Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt belts a leadoff double 105.9 mph on the 3rd pitch he sees.

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/P7RekP8dTS pic.twitter.com/7TevrF0dzs
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 12, 2025

As mentioned, Wetherholt is ranked the Cardinals’ top prospect at the moment by MLB Pipeline. He is considered a middle infielder, being able to play both second base and shortstop. However, given St. Louis has a young stud at short in Masyn Winn, Wehterholt likely slots to second base once he gets his call-up.

Wetherholt is considered a 60-grade prospect with a 65-grade hit being his best ability. Most of the season has been spent in AA but a recent call-up to AAA Memphis is already bringing positive results. In three games played at 12 at-bats, Wetherholt has four hits — basically for the cycle. A single, double, triple, and home run are all on the resume for an OPS of 1.326.

“Starting slightly open from the left side before closing his stance with a leg raise, Wetherholt had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft class,” MLB Pipeline said in a scouting report on Wetherholt.

St. Louis took Wetherholt with the seventh overall pick back in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia. Progression has been rapid over the past two years. Playing in the Futures Game and producing is another great sign that the Cardinals may have a star player inside the organization.

MLB Pipeline projects the 2026 season might be when the debut comes for Wetherholt. Currently, the Cardinals are in a race to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The franchise has not had a postseason win since the 2020 Wild Card.

Maybe there is an avenue to help St. Louis in the present day. For now, the front office will be happy to see him producing on the national stage in Atlanta.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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