Former WVU baseball standout JJ Wetherholt is on an absolute tear, making a strong case for a call-up to the big leagues. After earning a promotion from Double-A to Triple-A, he’s quickly turning heads with his red-hot performance for the Memphis Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate.
On Wednesday, Wetherholt crushed two home runs in a 6-0 win — just a month after hitting multiple homers in a game at the Double-A level. It’s the latest highlight in a scorching run: the day before, he led off with a homer, and last Friday, he went a perfect 4-for-4, smashing two doubles that each had exit velocities over 106 mph. Through eight Triple-A games, Wetherholt has boosted his slash line to a stellar .359/.455/.956.
He’s been consistently raking at the plate, with advanced metrics and in-game production to match. As of July 23, he had lifted his Triple-A numbers to an eye-popping .429/.520/.952, further cementing his place as one of MLB’s top young talents — ranked No. 17 overall.
Wetherholt’s recent hot streak also includes a standout showing in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, where he laced a double in front of a national audience. Between that performance, his quick rise through the minors, and his dominance at Triple-A, Wetherholt’s future looks incredibly bright.
Still, there’s speculation that the Cardinals may delay his major league debut for financial reasons. By keeping Wetherholt in the minors, the team could preserve his pre-arbitration status and delay the clock on a more expensive contract.
Now, WVU fans — and baseball observers in general — are waiting to see if the Cardinals will bring him up this season or hold off until 2026. One thing is certain: JJ Wetherholt is making that decision harder by the day.