JJ Wetherholt Fantasy Stats

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt continued a trend on Opening Day on Thursday of young prospects making an immediate impact for their ballclubs. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia went 1-for-4 with the first home run of his big-league career, two RBI, and a strikeout out of the leadoff spot in the Cardinals' 9-7 come-from-behind victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Wetherholt's home run got the team on the board off right-handed starter Drew Rasmussen. His other RBI came on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS, 17 home runs, 59 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases in 109 games in 2025 at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. His power/speed upside and regular starter for St. Louis should make him an immediate contributor in mixed fantasy leagues in 2026 in his first full year in the Show.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt will lead off and play second base in his MLB debut on Opening Day. Wetherholt made the major league roster out of spring training after playing just 47 games at Triple-A last year. He was terrific in the minors in 2025, slashing .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 23 stolen bases, a 14.5% walk rate, a 14.7% strikeout rate, and 154 wRC+. The former first-round pick added 115 wRC+ this spring, walking at a 20.5% clip (albeit over a small sample size). Fantasy managers shouldn't panic if Wetherholt takes a little while to adapt to the environment of Major League Baseball and the higher caliber of pitching. He still projects as a long-term standout at the plate and in the field, offering plenty of fantasy appeal in 2026 and beyond. If he can stick in the leadoff role, he'll provide fantasy managers with frequent trips to the plate and a high potential for runs and stolen bases.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherhold is likely to bat in the leadoff spot on Opening Day on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Drew Rasmussen, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wetherholt, 23, will be the team's starting second baseman after posting a .780 OPS, two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and seven strikeouts in 15 Grapefruit League games. He came up through the minors as a shortstop, but he'll begin his big-league career at the keystone with Masyn Winn entrenched at the 6. Wetherholt will likely hit lower in the batting order against lefties. In 109 games last year at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, the former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia hit .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS, 17 homers, 59 RBI, 82 runs, and 23 stolen bases in 496 plate appearances. Wetherholt's hit tool is stronger than his power profile, but he could eventually be a 20- to 25-homer guy at second base. RotoBaller currently has Wetherholt ranked as the No. 17 fantasy second baseman.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Wetherholt will not just be on the big-league roster to begin the 2026 season, but he'll be starting at second base in what will be his MLB debut on Opening Day. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter batted .212 (7-for-33) with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, two steals, nine walks, and seven strikeouts in 15 Grapefruit League games this spring. He really turned heads at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in 2025, slashing .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS, 17 home runs, 59 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases in 109 total games. Wetherholt came up as a shortstop on the farm, but with Masyn Winn entrenched at the position in the big leagues, he'll begin his big-league career at the keystone. He hasn't shown an obvious weakness at the plate in the minors, and he could even hit leadoff for the Red Birds in his first year in the Show. Wetherholt could eventually hit 20-plus homers from the second base position.

St. Louis Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt has continued to perform at a high level in the Grapefruit League as he launched his second home run on Monday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles. Through nine games, Wetherholt has gone 5-for-18 with two long balls, one stolen base, and a strong 4:7 K:BB. The top shortstop appears to be a clear favorite to be in the team's Opening Day lineup and is performance in spring training further supports this. According to MLB.com, the former seventh overall pick is considered the sport's No. 5 overall prospect. Last season, Wetherholt spent his campaign with Double-A and Triple-A and held an overall .306/.421/.510 line with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Given his five-category profile and potential for everyday at-bats, Wetherholt is a top late-round breakout selection for all fantasy formats.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold told ESPN 101 St. Louis that he thinks shortstop prospect JJ Wetherholt "might be the best hitter in camp." Goold adds that Wetherholt is a "very polished," accomplished hitter with power that will "catch you by surprise." The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia has a mature approach at the plate for his age and appears to be the real deal. Barring something unforeseen, it's looking like he will break camp with the MLB roster and be in line for a starting spot on the infield to begin the 2026 regular season. So far through seven Grapefruit League games, Wetherholt has gone 4-for-12 (.333) with a homer, four RBI, five runs, a steal, seven walks, and only three strikeouts in 19 plate appearances. His ADP should continue to rise this spring as the third-best middle-infield prospect in 2026, behind only Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt homered for his first spring training hit in Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the New York Mets. Per MLB Pipeline, Wetherhold is the No. 5 prospect going into the 2026 season. The home run he hit on Friday traveled 422 feet and had a 105.4 mph exit velocity. The bomb came off Mets closer Devin Williams. The 23-year-old has only one hit in his four spring training games, but he's added four walks and a stolen base. Wetherholt came up through the minors as a shortstop, but he's expected to be St. Louis' starting second baseman on Opening Day this year. The former seventh overall pick in 2024 hit an impressive .306 with a .421 on-base percentage, 17 home runs, and 23 stolen bases in 109 games at Double-A and Triple-A last year. Wetherholt has nothing left to prove in the minors and should eventually be a middle infielder with 20-homer power.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt is starting at second base and batting fifth on Saturday in the team's Grapefruit League opener against the Washington Nationals, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. The offseason trades of both Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan have cleared a path for Wetherholt to be an everyday player on the infield for St. Louis in 2026, and he's expected to be their Opening Day second baseman. The 23-year-old is the No. 5 overall prospect in the game, per MLB Pipeline, after hitting .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games last year with Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. The former seventh overall pick in 2024 doesn't have an obvious weakness at the plate, although in his first big-league season, fantasy managers should temper expectations for his power and speed. Still, Wetherholt can hit 15-plus homers right away as St. Louis' starting second baseman.

As part of a wide-ranging discussion about lineup construction with St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol on Friday, the Belleville News' Jeff Jones reports that shortstop prospect JJ Wetherholt's name was "bandied about as an option at leadoff." It's looking more likely that Wetherholt will not only be on the team's Opening Day roster, but he could potentially be at the top of the batting order. After the offseason trades of Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, the 23-year-old has a clear path to the second base job, with Nolan Gorman moving to third base. MLB Pipeline's No. 5 overall prospect slashed a strong .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis last year. Wetherholt has never been a big power bat, but he can easily hit 15 homers in his first year in the big leagues.

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.