As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare for their 2026 campaign through Spring Training, the franchise just gave a contract extension to their manager, Oliver Marmol. Part of being a manager this time of year is making the tough roster decisions.
Now, it seems prospect JJ Wetherholt is giving Marmol one of those difficult decisions, as he spoke about on Foul Territory.
Marmol was asked if Wetherholt will be at second base on opening day.
“He's impressive, man. He really is. The skill set is what it is; we have talked enough about that, but the mentality is what continues to stand out for me,” Marmol said in response. “I love his mentality, his competitive nature, the way he is going about camp, and the way he's responding to things not going his way sometimes. He's going to help us win a lot of games for years to come.”
Wetherholt was the seventh overall selection of the 2024 MLB Draft after playing three years of college ball at West Virginia. In 2025, he made it up to the Triple-A level, playing for the Memphis Redbirds, while also appearing in the 2025 All-Star Future Game and being named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the year.
He has also already been solid in spring training, hitting .375 with a home run, four RBIs, and five runs scored. The 23-year-old prospect has also stolen a base and has an OPS of 1.365.
Wetherholt is competing for the spot at second base. Nolan Gorman is expected to be at third, while Masyn Winn plays short. This leaves Wetherholt competing with Thomas Saggese, Jose Fermin, and Roman Urias for the spot.
With the Cardinal entering a rebuild, getting playing experience for their young second baseman may be the move that Marmol ultimatly makes, and Wetherholt has earned it.
