St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt began his MLB career with a bang, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to an Opening Day win over the Tampa Bay Rays. But for as magical as his debut was, Wetherholt saw it coming back in fifth grade.
To celebrate his MLB arrival, the second baseman's fifth grade teacher Mrs. Ingoldsby dug out an old picture. In it, Wetherholt is seen predicting exactly where he'd end up career-wise down the road, via the Mars Area School District.
💙💛⚾️ Mrs. Ingoldsby, JJ Wetherholt’s 5th grade teacher, found this gem for his MLB debut today. The students had to write what they wanted to be when they grew up. So proud of him for living out his dream and knocking it out of the park in his very first at-bat! #marsproud pic.twitter.com/K7HyLTySpr
— Mars Area SD (@MarsAreaSD) March 27, 2026
In the 9-7 victory, St. Louis' second baseman went 1-of-4 with two RBIs. His lone hit was also his first major league home run. Batting at the top of the lineup, the Cardinals will have high expectations for Wetherholt all season. His work in the minors points to why St. Louis is so confident in his abilities.
During his 138 game run in the minor leagues, Wetherholt hit .304 with 19 home runs, 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. After hitting .314 with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs and nine stolen bases at the Triple-A level in 2025, the Cardinals were convinced Wetherholt was ready for the show.
So far, those hopes have been rewarded. St. Louis is entering what should be a lengthy rebuild. But at the center of it will be Wetherholt. Having him making the Opening Day roster and bat leadoff show how valuable the Cardinals view the second baseman.
All 2026 will be an opportunity for Wetherholt to prove he is the player St. Louis should be building around. No matter what happens though, the infielder has followed through on his childhood dream.
