The St. Louis Cardinals have overachieved by almost any measurement thus far. Specifically, JJ Wetherholt is having one of the best rookie seasons from a second baseman in the last twenty years.
Since he donned the Birds on the Bat, Wetherholt has done nothing but compete and then adjust when his opposition changes its approach. Cardinals’ fans have already seen their new leadoff hitter tame the high heat, and now he’s working on offspeed offerings.
However, Cardinals fans aren’t the only ones noticing Wetherholt’s incredible year.
Paul Hembo Makes Bold Wetherholt Claim
Paul Hembo of ESPN had some serious comps for Wetherholt through the rookie’s first 200 at-bats.
“How is JJ Wetherholt, a rookie second baseman, among baseball’s top ten position players through Memorial Day?” asked Hembo. “No rookie second baseman in the history of that metric, which dates to 2003, has logged more than 12. He is on pace for 24 defensive runs saved.”
After taking a look at the rookie’s defensive prowess, Hembo discussed how he’s functioning on the basepaths.
“He’s taken 12 extra bases, at a 60% clip. The Major League average for context is 43%. He runs the bases intelligently and thus, efficiently.”
He capped off the Wetherholt run-down by reminding everyone that his bat is also elite, while also making a tall comparison.
“It’s an OPS+ of 121. As you know, that’s 21% above-average. JJ Wetherholt is outperforming the average rookie second baseman by 38%. And he’s doing it, hitting exclusively leadoff, on a four-and-a-half runs per game lineup. I think the last time we saw a rookie second baseman this impactful was Dustin Pedroia, back in 2007.”
Hembo’s Pedroia comp isn’t as crazy as you might think. Both middle infielders have similar gritty playstyles, though Wetherholt takes ball four much more. It’ll be interesting to see how his career stacks up with the Boston legend when it’s all said and done.
Wetherholt Has Transformed St. Louis
In year one of a rebuild, the Cardinals are contenders. Only the Cardinals, right?
It’s not luck, it’s not a bogged-down NL Central like MLB has been used to, it’s the rookie sensation and his breakout co-star.
Wetherholt and 2026 star Jordan Walker have teamed up to launch St. Louis back into the baseball limelight. For years, the Cardinals operated with a sort of ‘devil magic’ that had other fanbases in a state of constant envy. They’d churn out young talent like it was nothing and play in October as they’d already punched a ticket in April. After three years in baseball purgatory, St.Louis is back to its winning ways.
Wetherholt has cemented the middle infield defense, provided a stabilizing presence at the top of the lineup, and he’s been something the Cardinals aren’t used to: FUN.
The past few seasons, Redbird baseball has been dreary. The team would preach “do the little things right” and “runway” for young players to no apparent avail–until Wetherholt debuted, that is. Since he stepped foot in Busch Stadium, the color is back, the beers are cold, the Clydesdales are rowdy, and the Birds are hot.
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