Former WVU Baseball standout JJ Wetherholt has made quite the splash in the first week of the MLB season. The Mars, Pennsylvania, native smashed a home run to centerfield on opening day, and hit a walk-off single the day after for the St. Louis Cardinals. As those who follow the Mountaineers know, his early major league success comes as no surprise. Read more: JJ’s journey from Mountaineer to major leaguer.
Wetherholt played three seasons for WVU, acting as a cornerstone for the final run of head coach Randy Mazey-led teams. His work paid off when he became the highest drafted player in program history, with the Cardinals selecting him with the No. 7 overall pick in 2024.
Before the old gold and blue
Wetherholt made his name known in the state of Pennsylvania, taking care of business for Mars Area High.
In his time, he was named Team MVP, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and TribLive 5A Player of the Year, among several other honors. In only his sophomore season, Wetherholt tallied a .500 batting average with four home runs.
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He took his talents down I-79 to Morgantown, where he made an immediate impact for his new team.
Freshman year: Instant success
It didn’t take long for Wetherholt to get acclimated to Kendrick Family Ballpark, or anywhere else the Mountaineers played.
Wetherholt started 53 of 54 games, and went 3-5 at the plate with a home run and four RBI in his first game at the collegiate level.
The 5’10 rising star finished 2022 with 64 hits and 51 runs. Add in 15 stolen bases, five home runs and a team-leading 17 doubles. Batting .308 as a freshman in the Big 12 is no small feat.
WVU, with help from Wetherholt, finished 2022 with 33 wins. What came next for the Pennsylvania product was even better.
Sophomore year: The batting king
In what might’ve been the greatest individual season in program history, Wetherholt led the nation with a .449 batting average.
Accolades flowed in like a rushing river, with just a few of the headlining honors listed below;
- Big 12 Player of the Year
- Unanimous First-Team All-American
- All-Big 12 First Team
- NCBWA District 2 Player of the Year
That’s not counting several others that you can find a full list of by clicking here.
Wetherholt earned the praise through his consistent production. He started 54 of 55 games he played in. Along the way, the sophomore phenom racked up 24 doubles and 16 home runs, along with a conference-leading 36 stolen bases.
It’s hard to put into words how electric the 2023 campaign felt. WVU finished with a 40-20 record and an NCAA Regional appearance.
Junior year: Perseverance following pain
Following up such a sensational season is never easy, but a severe hamstring injury made it even tougher.
In the season-opening series against Stetson, Wetherholt suffered the aforementioned setback. It cost the junior superstar 24 games in his final season with the Mountaineers.
Despite the setback, Wetherholt made his mark in the 36 games he was able to play. Another All-Big 12 First Team campaign was propelled by leading the team with a .331 batting average. Wetherholt nabbed 30 RBI, eight home runs, and eight doubles in his limited time.
The comeback, matched with his previous success, set the infielder up for the future.
Mountaineer history, St. Louis potential
The Cardinals made Wetherholt their first pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Related: Former WVU Baseball players in the MLB (2026)
WVU’s finest made a splash in the farm league right away, batting .314 in AAA and .300 in AA across two seasons. Wetherholt’s output earned him a spot on the Cardinals’ opening day roster this year.
The Mountaineer great is batting .250 through the first four games of his major league career, with plenty of room to grow. St. Louis fans should be ecstatic about the future.
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