The St. Louis Cardinals have promoted high prospect JJ Wetherholt to Triple-A Memphis, the group introduced on Monday.
A center infielder, the 22-year-old Wetherholt is the No. 1 prospect in St. Louis’ system and the No. 19 in baseball, per MLB.com.
Wetherholt was the Cardinals’ high decide within the 2024 MLB Draft (No. 7 total) and has torn via the minor leagues in his one yr as a professional. In reality, his speedy promotion makes him the primary Cardinals minor leaguer to succeed in Triple-A lower than a yr after being drafted since Michael Wacha did it in 2013. He is the primary place participant to take action since Brett Wallace in 2009.
Wetherholt began the yr at Double-A Springfield, the place he hit an excellent .300 in 62 video games with seven dwelling runs and 14 stolen bases, main the Texas League in each on-base share and OPS. His promotion got here at some point after his first multi-home-run recreation of his skilled profession.
Total within the minors, which incorporates 29 video games final yr at Class-A Palm Seashore, he is slashing .299/.419/.445 in 401 plate appearances.
Wetherholt performed his school ball at West Virginia, the place he gained a Division I batting title by hitting .449 with a 1.304 OPS in 2023. Unsurprisingly, he tasks as a plus hitter within the Majors.
“Wetherholt had a number of the greatest bat-to-ball abilities in his Draft class, working as excessive a contact price as 89.7 p.c as a sophomore in 2023,” his MLB.com scouting report reads. “He continued to indicate a eager eye within the Florida State League and carried out properly with an all-fields strategy in opposition to most pitch varieties.”
With the Cardinals only a recreation out of the Wild Card, they’re definitely contenders within the Nationwide League. Time will inform if Wetherholt will issue into that equation this yr.
For now, Wetherholt will head to Memphis. However he may even take a fast journey to Atlanta subsequent week, as he’s scheduled to take part within the 2025 MLB Futures Sport on July 12 as a part of the All-Star week festivities.