MLB Opening Day is here again, and WVU Baseball alums are making a splash in the league. The Mountaineers are getting more and more representation across the league, and JJ Wetherholt is the biggest name in recent years. The 2024 first-round draft pick has got the call and is on the starting roster for the Cardinals’ first game this season. He is not the only WVU alum on the Cardinals, however. Here are the players in the league and where you can find them. Read more: Former WVU baseball players in the MLB.
JJ Wetherholt – St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt was the seventh pick in the first round of the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft. He is heading to the majors after spending a season in Double-A and Triple-A, preparing for his MLB debut. The St. Louis Cardinals decided to put him on the Opening Day roster after a solid spring. He hit .212 in 15 games this spring, with two home runs, seven RBI, nine walks, and seven strikeouts.
Wetherholt is slated to start at second base on Opening Day. He is coming off a stellar season in 2025, where he hit .306 with 19 home runs. He also had 79 RBI and 23 stolen bases. The Cardinals are rebuilding, and Wetherholt is one of the main players in that rebuild. He is not the only former WVU player who is on the Cardinals, though.
Victor Scott II – St. Louis Cardinals
Victor Scott II played three seasons at WVU before declaring for the MLB Draft. He was selected in the fifth round by the Cardinals in 2022. He spent his first couple of seasons in the minors, but made his big league debut in 2024. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter is set to start in center field for the Cardinals on Opening Day.
Scott started 126 for the Cardinals last season and 40 in 2024. He has a .206 average in that time, with a 1.7 WAR. Scott is becoming an excellent baserunner, notching 34 stolen bases last season. He has revamped his swing in the spring, using the facilities at West Virginia for motion capture and force plate testing. It also helps that former Cardinals infielder Jedd Gyorko is an assistant at WVU and can help Scott understand the intricacies of his swing.
Alek Manoah – Los Angeles Angels
Before Wetherholt was drafted in the first round, Alek Manoah was the last first-round selection out of WVU. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 and is now in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he is not on the Opening Day roster. He was placed on the 15-day IL due to a fingernail issue. The 28-year-old has to wait for a chance to revitalize his career after being waived by the Blue Jays last September.
