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The St. Louis Cardinals sit a game below .500 and will spend the remainder of the season looking toward the future. With two months remaining, all eyes are on the team's top prospect, JJ Wetherholt.
As they should be.
Wetherholt, also ranked the No. 16 prospect in baseball per MLB, has excelled at Triple-A Memphis since his promotion. In 16 games, he is hitting .344 with six home runs and a 1.179 OPS. He has also struck out only eight times in 61 at bats and has a pair of stolen bases for good measure.
The 22-year-old West Virginia University alum has been in the Cardinals' system for just over a year after St. Louis drafted him seventh overall last July. He played 29 games in A-ball last year before beginning 2025 in Double-A. In 62 games with Double-A Springfield, he hit .300 with seven homers, leading to his most recent call-up.
As an infielder, Wetherholt has seen the most action at shortstop, but has also played second base and played third in college. With the Cardinals' middle infield solidified for the remainder of the season with Brendan Donovan and Masyn Winn, it's not likely he would see much action in 2025 at either position. But Nolan Arenado is now on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, opening up a spot for him to see consistent time. Perhaps not coincidentally, Wetherholt made his first start of his professional career at third base on Sunday.
There is no timeline for Arenado's return, and considering he's in the midst of the worst offensive season of his pro career and the Cardinals have nothing to play for, there's no reason to rush him back.
The team expects Winn and probably Donovan to be part of their future plans, but the Cardinals have also tried multiple times to trade Arenado. If they are finally successful this offseason, Wetherholt can start in his place next season. Otherwise, the Cardinals will have to pivot.
