The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten a good look at many of their younger and more promising players this spring. Several of those players are expected to play a big role on the major league roster this upcoming season.

The Cardinals’ best prospects were on display in the team’s Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, including the top minor leaguer in the organization’s farm system.

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Infielder JJ Wetherholt, who’s ranked as the fifth-best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, started in St. Louis’ 9-8 win over Washington as the second baseman.

Wetherholt went 2-for-3 with two runs, struck out once and was walked once. He reached base three times total.

Wetherholt was selected by St. Louis with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia. He quickly proved himself worthy of the top-prospect billing and has been a quick riser in the organization’s farm system since he was drafted.

The 23-year-old former Mountaineer played 29 games in Single-A the summer after he was drafted.

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Last year, his first full season as a professional ball player, Wetherholt skipped High-A entirely and began the season with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. He was promoted to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on July 7.

Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS in 109 games in Double-A and Triple-A. He hit 28 doubles, two triples and 17 home runs with 59 RBIs and stole 23 bases in 26 attempts.

Wetherholt was extended a non-roster invite this spring, the second-straight year he started in major league camp.

The West Virginia product has slashed .214/.405/.429 with an .834 OPS in 13 Grapefruit League games and has hit two homers with six RBIs. He’s stolen a pair of bases in as many opportunities.

Wetherholt entered this spring with legitimate major league aspirations and an opportunity to break camp on the Opening Day roster.

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Currently, FanGraphs projects JJ Wetherholt to begin the season as the team’s starting second baseman and lead-off hitter.

The Cardinals have fully committed to a rebuild this season and aren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot as a result.

However, this season will still be crucial for the future of St. Louis as the team is expected to get its first look at a lot of players that can define the organization’s future.

Wetherholt is considered one of those players. If he’s able to meet those expectations, he’ll likely become one of the faces of the team when it does eventually return to contender status.

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