The time for the baby red birds is now. It is all but a foregone conclusion that the St. Louis Cardinals are entering a new era of baseball. They’ve gone from a veteran heavy leadership group to implementing the youth movement.

It is nothing to be ashamed of. Embrace it and enjoy it because it definitely does not mean that painful days are ahead. It really just is something different than what Cardinals fans are accustomed to. The big league roster is littered with young talent, highlighted by short stop Masyn Winn. The cast of characters around him is good, but still going. Alec Burleson and Co. will try and lead the Cardinals on a steady path. But if you are to turn your eye towards the farm system, there is one Cardinals prospect to keep on your radar. His name is JJ Wetherholt.

All Eyes on Wetherholt

When you break down the Cardinals farm system, their top ranked prospect is starting pitcher Quinn Matthews. He is currently in Triple-A and is the currently ranked 32nd in the top 100 prospects according to Fangraphs. As for Wetherholt, he ranks 62nd and is the second ranked prospect for the Cardinals.

It seems like the world knows about Matthews for the most part, as his estimated time of arrival into the league is in 2025. For fans who did not watch a ton of college baseball, it’s time to get familiar with Wetherholt and what he brings to the table.

Wetherholt is the Real Deal

So in case you don’t know who he is or where he came from, the Cardinals drafted him seventh overall in the 2024 draft. Wetherholt played for West Virginia University and was a stellar standout at their school.

He brings it all, from his blazing speed, to his blend of raw power, the Cardinals have an absolute DAWG in their system. The other thing, is he can play short stop, but also second base, which is huge if and when he makes it to the big league level. An infield of Wetherholt and Winn is an appetizing dish.

There’s a lot to like about his overall game, aside from just his speed and power. He lit the college world up his freshman year, hitting .308 and with an OPS of .882. His sophomore season was by far his best season and it was not close. He saw his average skyrocket to .449 and his OPS to 1.304. He would finish his junior year with another 1.000 OPS season and was well above a league average bat at the collegiate level.

Let’s fast forward to the Cardinals system, where he got freshly integrated. He played just 29 games in Single-A, so the sample size is small. However, he did slash .295/.405/.400/ and with an .805 OPS. His wRC+ sat at 137, so still very productive for the sample size. Fortunately, the Cardinals did invite him to Spring Training and has already put the fans and the baseball world on notice.

JJ Wetherholt, the top-ranked prospect in the #STLCards organization, per @MLBPipeline goes opposite field for a three-run home run — his first in an MLB Spring Training. The smash left the bat at 100.6 mph and traveled 345 feet. It put the Cards up 5-4 on the #Astros . pic.twitter.com/YarMwc7sqq

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 23, 2025

He has played one game in Spring Training and has gone 2-3 and with a scorching home run. Not bad for the youngster in what’s his first time facing higher level talent at the MLB level.

Whether he makes the team this year is a mystery and probably unlikely, but the Cardinals future is very bright and this is the next best gem they have in their pockets. If you aren’t familiar with his name, get familiar with it because the way things are looking for the red birds, the youth is truly coming and could be coming in waves.