More than 18 months have passed since JJ Wetherholt was selected seventh overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.
While much has changed since then for Wetherholt, one of the most accomplished players in the history of West Virginia’s baseball program keeps his approach and mindset somewhat similar to what helped lead to all sorts of success over three seasons as a Mountaineer.
“I was wavering a little bit from my approach early on my first year in pro ball, but last year, over the course of the season through highs and lows, anytime I needed to get back to what I do best, my thought is to be on time for that heater,” Wetherholt said Wednesday as a guest on Statewide Sportsline. “It was an approach that I carried all of college, and being able to refine it in pro ball is kind of what’s helped me be able to transfer well.”
With 138 games and 513 at bats under his belt, Wetherholt has a surplus of experience across three minor league levels.
After being drafted by St. Louis, Wetherholt began his professional career with the Palm Beach Cardinals in Single-A. Across 29 games in the Florida State League, Wetherholt hit .295 with a pair of home runs, 20 RBI, five doubles, 16 base-on-balls and 15 strikeouts in 105 at bats.
Last year, Wetherholt began the season with the Springfield Cardinals in Double-A, and hit .300 with seven home runs, 34 runs driven in, 14 doubles, 44 walks and 40 strikeouts across 223 at bats and 62 games.
“There are no days off. Every guy is a dude and a legit player,” Wetherholt said. “It makes it tough sometimes as a hitter, because you have to bring your ‘A’ game, every day, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Wetherhold’s showing in Double-A helped lead to another promotion to the Memphis Redbirds in Triple-A.
Playing one level below Major League Baseball, Wetherholt continued to produce and compiled a .314 batting average with 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 14 doubles, 28 walks and 33 strikeouts over 47 games and 185 at bats.
Jul 12, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; National League infielder JJ Wetherholt (26) of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases during the second inning against American League at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
“The organization definitely trusts the plan that I come up with myself, but they’re obviously talking depending on the pitcher that day on pitchers we should look for. It’s been pretty consistent with how I hit in college,” Wetherholt said. “Just trying to be on time for a fastball and adjust to the other stuff. Really at the professional level, you have to be better and more disciplined at your approach, and that’s really what I’ve been working towards.”
Wetherholt has proven himself as a hitter at every level.
Across three seasons and 145 games at WVU, he had a .370 average, totaled 206 hits, 29 home runs and 49 doubles, while driving in 129 runs. In 2023, Wetherholt was a unanimous first team All-American after leading the nation with a .449 batting average — the best mark of any player from a power conference since Buster Posey in 2008.
“I kind of still have the same approach. There’s a lot of people out there that are trying to help, but can definitely overfill your brain with stuff that you don’t probably need to be focusing on,” he said. “You have to make sure that you know your system and the things that you like to look at and the things that you don’t and stay consistent to it, so you’re not filling your brain up too much.”
The next challenge for Wetherholt is to make the Cardinals’ opening day roster.
JJ Wetherholt rounds the bases after belting a grand slam. Photo by Greg Carey
While he spent the majority of his first two seasons across the minor leagues at shortstop, should Wetherholt remain with St. Louis, his major league career will almost certainly start at second base or third base, with the Cardinals having settled on 23-year-old Masyn Winn at short.
“Prioritizing reps at all different positions is kind of new to me,” Wetherholt said. “I was used to wherever I was playing that year is where I have to work. Bouncing around has been a lot and then just hitting, always refining the minor details, making sure my swing is in a good spot and I’m moving well. Those two main things.”
Wetherholt is open to playing whatever position the organization feels best suits St. Louis.
“That is definitely all up to them,” he said. “You have a little bit of choice control early on in spring training of where you want to work at positionally, but if they want to nudge me in a certain direction, it’s definitely going to be up to them to tell me to do so. We have a lot of good ex-big leaguers or guys in our system that are teaching ground balls. They told me last conversation to work everywhere, so that’s what I do, and until they tell me to hone in somewhere else, nothing will change.”
The Cardinals start spring training February 14 in Jupiter, Fla, though the 23-year-old Wetherholt has been in the Sunshine State training for the majority of the offseason.
“I do virtual reality boxing non stop. That’s how I get my cardio in,” he said. “Not a big fan of running. I go out to the garage and get my work in that way. It’s a ton of fun, but it kicks my butt. I’ll be sweating a ton.
“Nutrition wise, the biggest thing for me is cooking my meals. I know what’s good at grocery stores and stuff that’s healthy, so I stock my fridge pretty good, make sure I’m cooking myself and that way I’m not eating anything that’s too bad.”
Earlier this week, Wetherholt was listed the Cardinals’ top prospect and No. 7 in all of MLB by The Athletic and ESPN, further indications his major league debut looms in the near future.
Should he make St. Louis’ opening day 26-man roster, Wetherholt would almost certainly be reunited with Victor Scott II, a WVU product and centerfielder with 191 games and 543 at bats as a Cardinal to his credit the last two seasons.
Wetherholt and Scott were teammates as Mountaineers in 2022.
“Victor and I have been tearing up some ponds in Florida,” Wetherholt said. “He’s been a great influence with stuff off the field and how to be a pro. When I was a freshman, he was a junior, so he was always kind of in that leadership role. That’s a guy I’m going to look to first to see what he’s doing and how I can follow the way he’s going about his business.”
Recognizing his MLB debut is a matter of when and not if, Wetherholt tries not to look too far ahead, but admits there is a priority in place when the day comes.
“The only thing I think about is making sure my mom is there, because she can’t fly,” he said. “That is the extent of what I think there, but it’ll be a surreal moment.