St. Louis Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt has been on fire in Triple-A, cementing himself as a top-five prospect in Baseball America’s rankings with the potential to climb even higher. Widely regarded as one of the premier hitting prospects in the minors, he’s given fans plenty of reason to anticipate his MLB debut.
However, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has already cooled expectations about seeing Wetherholt in St. Louis this season.
Speaking with The Morning After crew on 101 ESPN, Mozeliak downplayed the idea of a late-season call-up. “It’s not the protection year, so I think it’s not necessarily in the best interest for the organization to do that,” he said. “Even though it might be fun and exciting, you’re not forced to put them on the roster this offseason, and so that’s definitely something that should be a part of the equation.”
By “not the protection year,” Mozeliak was referring to Wetherholt’s Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Since he won’t need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, the team isn’t pressured to protect him from being selected by another club.
The fact that Jose Fermin was called up to replace Brendan Donovan on the IL instead of Wetherholt further highlights the Cardinals’ reluctance to add their top prospect to the 40-man roster and start his MLB service clock.
While there’s logic behind keeping him in Memphis, there are also strong arguments for giving him the call.
Mozeliak’s point carries some weight—Wetherholt was only drafted last year, and the Cardinals don’t need to rush him onto the roster yet. They could simply wait until next season before making that move. That said, using roster protection as the primary reason not to promote him is a thin argument, raising questions about whether it’s the right call.
In just 26 games with Triple-A Memphis, Wetherholt is slashing .310/.403/.670 with nine homers, three steals, 17 RBIs, and a near-even strikeout-to-walk ratio (19 Ks, 15 BBs). He’s racked up 17 extra-base hits among his 31 total knocks, and his 1.073 OPS ranks among the International League’s elite.
Despite being more than four years younger than the average player at that level, he hasn’t been overwhelmed by advanced pitching. History says rookies often struggle in their first MLB stint, but Wetherholt has hit everywhere he’s gone—suggesting his bat should translate quickly once the Cardinals finally give him the call.