St. Louis Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt is concentrating on his strengths this winter ahead of Spring Training, aiming to secure a spot on the major league roster. The 23-year-old infielder, MLB's No. 5 overall prospect, emphasized maintaining his natural swing despite early coaching on weaknesses. Teammates and coaches praise his potential to energize the lineup.
During Day 2 of the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up in St. Louis, JJ Wetherholt discussed his mindset for the upcoming season. As the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia University, where he hit .450, Wetherholt faced initial feedback in the minors focusing on his lack of pull-side power rather than his ability to hit to all fields for extra-base hits.
"'Fight' could be, could not be, the right word," Wetherholt said. "When I got drafted into the organization, there was not a lot of talk about how well I hit the ball the other way and a lot of talk about how not good I hit the ball to the pull side. ... It’s a dangerous game to be focusing on what doesn’t make you good. So, maybe ‘fight’ is the right term."
The Cardinals named Wetherholt their Minor League Player of the Year for 2025 after he posted a .306/.421/.510 slash line with 28 doubles, 17 homers, 59 RBIs, four leadoff home runs, and 23 stolen bases in 26 attempts across 109 games in Double-A and Triple-A. The versatile infielder can play second base, third base, and shortstop.
Teammate Masyn Winn, training with him in Jupiter, Florida, is enthusiastic: "Everybody knows about him on the offensive side. That’s going to be an explosion for us, and I think it’s going to spark this club. ... The dude rakes."
With Wetherholt's rise, the Cardinals have discussed trading 2025 All-Star Brendan Donovan. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom insists on giving him a full opportunity in Spring Training. Manager Oliver Marmol highlighted his poise: "There’s a quiet confidence to him that is rare with young players. ... I’m looking forward to seeing it on a daily basis."
Unlike his 2025 Spring Training debut, focused on gaining experience around veterans like Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, Wetherholt views this year as his chance to make the Opening Day roster. "It’s completely different now; last year was to have the experience, and this year it’s to make the team," he said.
