In a long-anticipated move, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that they have promoted top prospect and former WVU shortstop JJ Wetherholt to Triple-A Memphis.
Wetherholt, the seventh overall choice last season, became the first Cardinal to reach Triple-A in less than a calendar year since 2013. Michael Wacha did it that year and made it to the majors less than a year later.
Brett Wallace was the last position player in the Cardinals’ organization to reach Triple-A in less than a year. That happened in 2009, and Wallace didn’t finish the year with St. Louis. Instead, he was dealt to Oakland as a package deal for Matt Holliday. Wallace ended up in the majors a year later with Houston, as he was traded twice again before getting the call.
Read More: JJ Wetherholt Promoted to Triple-A Memphis
What Does Wetherholt’s Future Look Like?
The Cardinals appear very high on Wetherholt. When you pick a player seventh overall, you’ve invested a lot in his future. St. Louis sending him to Memphis already says that the Cardinals’ brass is really high on his future.
That likely means Wetherholt’s close to untouchable in trade talks. If the Cardinals were World Series contenders, we’d probably be having a different conversation. Wetherholt would be incredible trade bait if St. Louis were leading the National League and one piece away from winning it all. But this roster is more likely to be one of the last teams in the field, if it qualifies at all.
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That means the Cardinals will likely be both buyers and sellers at the deadline. When a team is in that position, it holds off on trading its brightest young prospects. Instead, it surveys the market and lets that dictate what it does. If it can get a good piece for a low cost, it buys. If it can fetch a high return for an established player, it sells. Wetherholt is a high-value, non-established player, so he falls into neither category. Barring something truly unexpected, he will end 2025 in the Cardinals’ organization.
Could Wetherholt Reach St. Louis in 2025?
That depends on what the Cardinals do at the deadline. If St. Louis remains in the playoff race, Wetherholt probably finishes the year in Memphis. The Cardinals don’t want or need to rush him. They also don’t want him playing in meaningful games before he’s ready.
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But if St. Louis falls apart and falls out of the race, Wetherholt could reach the majors. Bringing your top draft pick up in August is a great way to sell tickets to otherwise meaningless games. St. Louis needs some excitement after the past two seasons. If the Cardinals aren’t playing meaningful games, Wetherholt provides that.
If Wetherholt doesn’t reach St. Louis in 2025, he’s probably headed there in 2026. Most likely, the Cardinals will let him finish the year in Triple-A and invite him to big-league camp next spring. There, he’ll have a chance to make the team in spring training, especially if he’s already on the 40-man roster.
What Has Wetherholt Done So Far?
He’s battered the Texas League pretty well. The big reasons we’re seeing JJ Wetherholt promoted are his hitting prowess and his awareness. In 62 games, he’s hit .300, stolen 14 bases and clubbed seven home runs. He ended his time at Double-A Springfield in style with a two-homer game.
It’s easy to forget that his minor league career consists of just 91 games. He spent last year at Palm Beach, then bypassed High-A to move to Springfield. He’s done well for himself to this point, and it probably won’t be too long until he’s in the majors.
Will He Play Anywhere Near West Virginia in 2025?
Barring a trade, not really. The closest Triple-A team to Morgantown is Columbus, a reasonable 200 miles away. However, the Redbirds won’t play the Clippers at all this season. The closest Wetherholt will come to Morgantown in 2025 is Charlotte, 375 miles south down Interstate 77. That series will take place from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17.
