Cardinals infielder ranked among top 5 prospects for 2026 season

The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping for great success in 2026. St. Louis had a frustrating 2025 season, finishing the campaign with a 78-84 record. The Cardinals also dealt some of their most experienced players this offseason, including starting pitcher Sonny Gray.

There’s help on the way, though. St. Louis has one of the top five prospects in Major League Baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. That is shortstop JJ Wetherholt, who is listed as the no. 5 overall prospect in MLB for 2026.

Wetherholt is one of five shortstops who make up the first five prospects. The no. 1 player on the list is Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin.

Working in the Cardinals farm system in 2025, the shortstop Wetherholt hit at a .306 batting average with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs.

Cardinals hope to rebuild in 2026

St. Louis has been one of the top clubs in the National League in the last 20 or so years. The Cardinals though have lost some of that momentum in the National League Central recently. The Milwaukee Brewers took the division in the 2025 season, while the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds also made the postseason.

St. Louis is changing strategy to try and rebuild. The Cardinals haven’t made it much of a secret that they are looking to deal some of their veterans. Gray is gone, and Nolan Arenado was also traded recently to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Wetherholt is likely to get his chance playing with the Cardinals soon. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is reportedly hoping to cultivate young talent to help the club build a championship roster.

“We do have different parameters from the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. And therefore, if we want to win, we have to go about it differently,” Bloom said, per Sports Illustrated. “But we can never, ever allow that to be an excuse. We’re going to stamp out that mindset.”

Three of MLB Pipeline’s top five prospects are in the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers shortstop prospect Jesus Made is third overall on the list, joining Wetherholt and Griffin.

The Cardinals last won the World Series back in 2011.

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