It’s all but a foregone conclusion that JJ Wetherholt will break camp with the St. Louis Cardinals and be a part of the Opening Day roster, but where should his place in the lineup be? The team has had him in the leadoff position several times this Spring, but should he stay there? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Do you think JJ Wetherholt should bat leadoff?

The St. Louis Cardinals have had JJ Wetherholt at the top of the lineup for many recent Spring Training games. Do you think that should carryover into the regular season or is that too much pressure on a young player?

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There were many interesting responses when I asked this question of our Viva El Birdos community. The opinions seem to be split with some concerned about the extra pressure on a leadoff man in addition to the already heavy weight of a young player trying to become established as a major league regular. As was mentioned in our Feed question, if you look at JJ’s background, he has batted almost exclusively in the top 3 in the lineup from his time at West Virginia moving forward. It’s also worth noting that Wetherholt was frequently the leadoff man at Triple A Memphis after his promotion to that level on July 7, 2025. He responded by hammering 5 leadoff home runs the remainder of last season.

The concern about having JJ Wetherholt in the leadoff role is the question of what to do if he struggles. I think this is one area where the St. Louis Cardinals approach to the 2026 season would benefit him as the team says player and future roster development is the priority. The Cardinals can afford to commit to allowing JJ Wetherholt to be at the top of the lineup. I also don’t get the impression that pressure is something that will cause a problem for JJ. He does not impress me as the type of personality who will wilt when faced with adversity. He also has displayed the ability to make smart adjustments as he has advanced through the Cardinals system.

You also have to ask what other options the St. Louis Cardinals have that would make sense in the leadoff role. I’ve heard some say that Lars Nootbaar when healthy could bat leadoff, but his OBP is lower than JJ’s at .341. Victor Scott II would seem to be a good fit because of his elite speed, but his OPB of just .283 won’t cut it. I cannot come up with a better option for anyone at the top of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup than JJ Wetherholt. He seems comfortable with the role so why not commit to him batting leadoff and allow him to settle into the role as the St. Louis Cardinals figure out who else will be a part of the core group of players moving forward?