The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a huge rebuild right now, which means they’re going to need to lean heavily on their farm system over the coming years.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have one of the best prospects in the league already in their organization. JJ Wetherholt is a consensus top 10 prospect in the league and many outlets consider him a top five prospect.
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This spring, the Cardinals have already seen a lot of potential from Wetherholt. He’s flashed a lot of ability during the early portion of spring training. With games beginning in the near future, the young infielder received a huge endorsement from Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
Chaim Bloom shares high praise for Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (77) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
“JJ is an outstanding natural hitter whose poise and maturity has impressed all of us throughout his time here. He’s a learner who loves to be challenged,” Bloom said, via Jim Bowden of The Athletic. “JJ impacts all of those around him positively and it’s going to be fun to see him do that as he takes on a bigger role in our camp this spring. As we start spring training, we’ll continue to pay attention to how he’s preparing physically to put his body in position to excel defensively throughout the long season.”
The Cardinals should be very excited about Wetherholt. He crushed Triple-A pitching late last season while flashing the potential to be a five-tool prospect. The young star can steal bases while hitting for a high average and decent power. And he’s only getting better with more exposure to big league level talent.
With Brendan Donovan traded to the Seattle Mariners, the Cardinals have a clear spot in the starting lineup for Wetherholt. While they haven’t made it official that he’s made the opening day roster, this is seemingly the assumption that everybody in St. Louis is operating under. Wetherholt will likely be a top of the lineup bat, starting at second base for the Cardinals for the next five to eight seasons, if not longer.
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