J.J. Wetherholt Fantasy Stats

St. Louis Cardinals infielders JJ Wetherholt and Nolan Gorman could be stationed at new primary positions in 2026. As of this weekend, Wetherholt is playing second base, while Gorman is taking reps at third base. Wetherholt has yet to make his MLB debut, but he should be in St. Louis soon. He has primarily been playing shortstop, but has seen some action at second base. It looks like the Cardinals would like Wetherholt to take over second base with the team trading Brendan Donovan this offseason. As for Gorman, he came up as a second baseman, but has been transitioning to the hot corner. He played a career-high 54 games over there last season. Nolan Arenado has been traded, so the spot is open full-time for Gorman. The Cardinals will likely move them around, but offseason trades have given these two players a chance to play full-time infield positions.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt now has a clear path to playing time at second base in 2026 after the team traded Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Before the Donovan trade, Wetherholt was expected to compete for the third base job after St. Louis traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason. Nothing is guaranteed for Wetherholt, but all signs point to the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, being on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster in 2026. Between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis last year, the 23-year-old hit .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games played. The former seventh overall pick in 2024 has 20-homer power as he matures, and he could play regularly right from the start of the season in St. Louis in 2026.

According to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals plan to give top infield prospect J.J. Wetherholt a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Goold noted that the team will give him "every opportunity" to be in the team's Opening Day lineup. Wetherholt, who is viewed as St. Louis' top prospect and the No. 5 overall prospect in the sport on MLB.com, was in strong contention to debut in the second half of 2025. The former seventh overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft opened the season with Double-A but needed just 62 games to reach Triple-A Memphis. Through his first 47 games with Triple-A, Wetherholt held a stellar .314/.416/.562 line with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and nine stolen bases. With third baseman Nolan Areando now in Arizona, Wetherholt faces even less competition to earn a key role. Managers should closely monitor his status in camp as he would become a must-draft player in all formats once named to the final roster.

On Tuesday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals traded veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and according to The Athletic's Katie Woo, this move opens the door for top prospect J.J. Wetherholt to compete for a starting job in spring training. Last season, Wetherholt saw extensive time at third base with Triple-A Memphis, potentially foreshadowing his role once he reaches the major leagues. The 23-year-old is still developing his power, but for now, he profiles as a contact hitter with strong plate discipline. Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510, collecting 56 doubles, 17 home runs, and 23 stolen bases while walking nearly as often as he struck out. His advanced approach and athleticism give him a strong chance to contribute immediately if he breaks camp with the big-league club. If Wetherholt does earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, he projects for up to 15 home runs with 20 or more stolen bases and a .265 batting average. With this news, he should be drafted in all formats.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt could be an option at third base once the team moves on from Nolan Arenado in the offseason. The team is expected to trade Arenado, which would open a spot for someone at third, and it could be filled by the Cards' top-ranked prospect. Wetherholt earned himself a promotion to Triple-A in early July, and when Arenado went on the injured list in early August, the 23-year-old got his first start at third base of his minor league career while at Memphis. He ended up logging 12 starts at the hot corner, so it could be an option if the team wants to pursue it. The 2024 first-rounder spent most of his time at shortstop (61 starts in '25), but also saw some action at second base (20 starts in '25), all of which could be options in the future. The left-handed slugger had a phenomenal season, slashing .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 23 steals, and a 72:73 BB:K between Double-A and Triple-A. Regardless of where he ends up, expect him to be in the big leagues in 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt is not likely to be promoted before the end of the year, although it is not because the team doesn't feel he is ready. The reasoning is more due to the fact that Wetherholt is not currently on the 40-man roster and does not need to be on the 40-man this winter in order to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, however, there are other players the team wants to protect and will use the 40-man roster space on them. It's a bummer from a fantasy standpoint as the Cardinals' top-ranked prospect has performed well enough to be a consideration for a big league call-up and has the skillset to be a multi-category producer once he arrives. Unfortunately, his arrival likely won't be until next spring. Redraft managers who have been stashing in anticipation of a call-up are potentially wasting a roster spot if that comes to fruition.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect J.J. Wetherholt has continued to flash immense upside at the Triple-A level and is knocking on the MLB door. Over his last six games with Triple-A Memphis, Wetherholt has posted a remarkable .481/.517/.620 line with four doubles, three stolen bases, and a 3:2 K:BB. Overall, since joining the top ranks of the St. Louis system, Wetherholt has posted a .331/.411/.625 line with 11 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and seven stolen bases. In addition to his elite performance at the plate, he has also shown a strong eye, drawing 18 walks while only striking out 24 times. Earlier in the season, the former seventh overall pick posted a .300/.425/.466 line at Double-A. He remains a top prospect to stash in all standard leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt has not slowed down at Triple-A, going 3-for-4 on Saturday, including a walk, two doubles, and one run scored for Memphis. The Cardinals' top-ranked prospect has looked right at home at Triple-A, hitting .316 with a 1.055 OPS in 30 games at that level. Additionally, he's recorded seven starts at third base since his promotion, giving him multiple paths to the majors as we head down the final month of the regular season. With 19 steals on the year, he has some speed as well, and the 22-year-old is worthy of a stash in deep 12-team leagues for those with an available bench or NA spot.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt continued to flash immense power upside at Triple-A on Friday evening. Facing Charlotte, the top-ranked prospect in St. Louis went 1-for-4 with a solo shot and a walk. This was his second round-tripper over his last three games. During these three games, Wetherholt has tallied at least one hit in each contest. Overall since earning the call to join the top ranks of the St. Louis system, the former West Virginia product has not disappointed, posting a .297/.394/.648 slash line with eight home runs and a 1.042 OPS through 24 games. Earlier in the campaign, Wetherholt held a .300/.425/.466 line through his first 62 games at Double-A. Given his elite hitting upside, Wetherholt is a top hitting prospect to stash in redraft leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect J.J. Wetherholt enjoyed another productive day at the plate on Thursday and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. On Thursday, facing Triple-A Charlotte, the former seventh overall pick went 1-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. This was a second-straight game tallying an extra-base hit. Since moving up to Triple-A Memphis earlier in July, Wetherholt has continued to flash high power upside, holding a .299/.394/.632 slash line with seven home runs and six doubles. During this stretch, the West Virginia product has held a 1.026 OPS and even swiped three bags. He opened the season with Double-A, where he held a .300/.425/.466 line across 62 games. Given his elite power upside, Wetherholt is a top stash candidate in redraft leagues as he should be given a taste of the majors before the end of the season.