Friday marks three months since former WVU Baseball standout JJ Wetherholt made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wetherholt’s first two months were phenomenal for a rookie campaign, but month three has been a bit slower in terms of production. Read more: Three months in: JJ Wetherholt remains a consistent hitter for Cardinals.
Through month three, Wetherholt added three homers, nine RBI and 29 hits, bringing his total in those categories to 12 homers, 34 RBI and 75 hits.
While the numbers look down, Wetherholt still proves to be a consistent hitter with his batting average improving to .262 compared to last month’s .237. Wetherholt also spent a short time away from the game while battling an injury in early June.
Top performances
Wetherholt’s strongest game of the month took place this past Sunday against the Kansas City Royals.
The Cardinals defeated the Royals 12-10, with Wetherholt hitting back-to-back homers in the first and second innings. This was Wetherholt’s second two-homer game in his young MLB career.
Overall, Wetherholt recorded three hits and three RBI in the contest.
Wetherholt’s only other home run this month was a three-run blast on June 14 against the Minnesota Twins. Despite the huge play, the Cardinals lost the game 4-5.
May 31 was another great day for Wetherholt, defeating division rival, the Chicago Cubs, 5-1. Wetherholt did not record any RBI in this contest, but he reached base three times and had two runs.
Cardinals as a team struggled in month three
After Wetherholt’s second month, the Cardinals sat in second place in the NL Central just two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, the Cardinals sit at third while the Brewers are starting to gain a comfortable lead at first, and the Cubs jump to second.
Related: Two months in: JJ Wetherholt continues impressive rookie season
The Cardinals currently sit seven games behind first and two games behind second.
There is still a lot of baseball left to play, and the Cardinals remain an active team in the playoff mix. However, they will need to be more consistent in the win column as they were the first two months to regain momentum in the division.
Overall, the Cardinals went 10-12 in games Wetherholt was active for the month.
There were several instances in which Wetherholt recorded three hits and no RBI. On one occasion, Wetherholt did not even score a run or RBI in a game despite recording three hits and one walk.
Wetherholt consistently racks up hits for the Cardinals, but if there is no one there for him to score or no one brings him in, it turns into wasted opportunities for the team.
Looking ahead
Despite the team struggling to consistently win this month, Wetherholt remains the favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year honor at -110.
Last month, he shared the spot with New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean, who has dropped to the fourth-best odds.
Wetherholt was a strong candidate for the 2026 MLB All-Star game, but he did not make it out of Phase 1 of fan voting. Overall, he finished in eighth place amongst other second basemen in the National League.
The Cardinals next face the Miami Marlins at home Friday at 8:15 P.M.
Other series for Wetherholt in the next month include the Braves, Cubs, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Angels and Reds.
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