Top prospect JJ Wetherholt was officially promoted to the big leagues, making his electric debut with the St. Louis Cardinals against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend, showing everyone why he’s been so highly touted. He will do so at second base despite being selected as a shortstop out of West Virginia in the 2024 draft.

JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn should be the faces of the next great Cardinals team

With the top prospect pedigree comes massive expectations and, fairly or unfairly, Wetherholt is about to feel the pressure of performing for the historic St. Louis franchise. There was never really a question if the first-rounder would make the big league roster, but more of a question for where he would play when he did. The Cardinals made good on their promises to deal Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan this offseason, opening up full-time opportunities at third and second base.

Now that the roster is set, the depth chart is clear with Wetherholt slotting in at second base alongside Masyn Winn at short. This combination, if all goes to plan, could end up being the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future as the Cardinals navigate through their first true rebuild in decades. Fans of the team have sky-high expectations for Wetherholt as he has responded to each challenge thrown his way up the professional ladder. Now, the organization’s top prospect will face the final hurdle of maintaining his success at the highest level, presumably as the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter more often than not. FanGraphs projects that he will face a little difficulty in the majors as a rookie, estimating a .254/.347/.379 slash line with 12 homers and 14 stolen bases. That would accumulate a 2.8 fWAR, good for third on the team behind Ivan Herrera and double-play partner Masyn Winn.

Winn is entering his third full season in the majors and looks to combine his rookie year offense with his sophomore season defense to firmly become a top-10 shortstop in baseball. His Gold Glove was well deserved in 2025 and now that the shortstop is fully healthy, the expectation is that his bat will make another leap forward. Back and knee issues were to blame for a down season at the plate, but all reports from Winn and staff are that the shortstop looks as good as ever. His projected 3.6 fWAR is on par with his rookie year, when he was nowhere near the defender he was in 2026. Winn put up a 104 wRC+ in 2025, but dropped to a 91 last season while fighting through a meniscus tear he ended up getting surgically repaired. Assuming Winn is back to his typical approach of hitting to all fields, I would expect a jump towards at least league-average offense. If and when that happens, he could push into the 4.0 fWAR range, entrenching him as an asset for the future.

Clearly, I have optimistic views on both players and their long-term potential. Without setting All-Star expectations out of the gate, I would use this season as an opportunity to hammer out extensions with each of them. Winn will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and will become a free agent after 2029. Playing a premier position with elite defense and, at minimum, a 100 wRC+ offensive production, is worth investing in beyond his current contract and would show loyalty to both Winn and the fanbase. A Wetherholt extension would be a different beast, but with the same overall goal of having cost-controlled franchise-altering talent. While he currently lacks the power to be a middle-of-the-order masher, his offensive profile points to a Brendan Donovan-esque consistency, but with potential for more. If the Cardinals flirt with positional flexibility with Wetherholt, locking down another super-utility type will provide the organization with plenty of options for the future.

These expectations may be unfair for two players who cannot legally rent a car in most states yet, but an uninterrupted, low-stress environment could allow them to show their true potential. Assuming they can provide consistent offensive value at the top of the order, Bloom could do well in bringing both JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn to the extension table and lock in both players as building blocks for the next great Cardinals team.