St. Louis Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt returned to his hometown of Mars, Pennsylvania, this offseason, where he participated in a youth baseball clinic and shared insights into his upbringing. The 2024 first-round draft pick, who earned minor league player of the year honors in 2025, reflected on the small town's influence on his career. Locals greeted him warmly, seeking autographs and celebrating their native son.
JJ Wetherholt, the St. Louis Cardinals' top prospect, stepped out of Mars Area High School—home of the Fightin' Planets—recently, only to be approached by two young fans eager for autographs on baseball cards. He signed them promptly, shook hands, and drove off in his 2006 truck as one admirer called out, "Thanks for coming home."
Mars, a quiet borough of about 1,500 residents located 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, remains Wetherholt's anchor. There, he developed his smooth left-handed swing through dedicated training, and he still holds a key to a 24-hour indoor baseball facility. "It slows me down when I come here," Wetherholt explained. After a busy 2025 season split between Double-A Springfield, Missouri, and Triple-A Memphis, Tennessee, he has focused his winter preparation in Jupiter, Florida. His family moved to Mars when he was 5, a time when the town had just one gas station. "It's just low-key, and that's my roots," he added.
Cardinals Magazine visited Mars during the offseason to explore Wetherholt's background. The infielder, selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, served as a star attraction at a youth baseball clinic at his alma mater. He then offered a personal tour, driving to batting cages and ballfields where he honed his skills, as well as a local golf course and fishing ponds that filled his leisure hours. Wetherholt reminisced about his first job, childhood dog, and two favorite restaurants, now under new ownership.
The visit underscored his deep connection to Mars, where residents closely track his progress and take pride in his achievements. "This is where I learned everything," Wetherholt said. The full story appears in the February edition of Cardinals Magazine, available at cardinals.com/magazine.
