JJ Wetherholt

Active

St. Louis Cardinals · Second Base

Age 235' 9" · 190 lbsBats Left

FBaseball Overview

The 23-year-old second baseman arrives in St. Louis as a highly decorated prospect who earned All-Star honors across multiple minor league levels in 2025, signaling significant upside for fantasy managers seeking upside at the position. Through his early 2026 campaign, Wetherholt demonstrates modest but productive contributions with a .265 batting average, 12 home runs, and 34 RBI across 302 at-bats while contributing speed with 9 stolen bases and 49 runs scored. His blend of athleticism and contact skills suggests the foundation for growth, particularly in runs and stolen bases as he gains experience and opportunity in the Cardinals' lineup. The primary risk is whether the young prospect can sustain this production rate while facing major league pitching over a full season, though his pedigree makes him an intriguing late-round gamble for patient fantasy managers.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2026	St. Louis Cardinals	85	.266	13	36	56	9	.362	.411	.773
Career	Totals	85	.266	13	36	56	9	.362	.411	.773

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2024	Palm Beach Cardinals	29	.295	2	20	18	2	.405	.400	.805
2025	2 teams▼	109	.306	17	59	82	23	.421	.510	.931
Career	Totals	138	.304	19	79	100	25	.418	.487	.905

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg90.1 mph

Max EV108.7 mph

Launch Angle14.2°

Barrel %7.3%

K %15.7%

Hard Hit %45.9%

Whiff %20.2%

Chase %22.5%

xBA0.265

xSLG0.442

xwOBA0.354

GB%39.6%

LD%25.3%

FB%30.8%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

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Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2026

St. Louis Cardinals

.266

.362

.411

.773

Career

Totals

.266

.362

.411

.773

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2024

Palm Beach Cardinals

.295

.405

.400

.805

2025

2 teams▼

109

.306

.421

.510

.931

Career

Totals

138

.304

100

.418

.487

.905