Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt, Mars graduate, moves up latest MLB top prospects rankings
Mars graduate and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect JJ Wetherholt has moved up.
Not to the majors, but higher on Keith Law’s Top 60 MLB prospects list.
The Athletic writer recently released his midseason update on the best talents still in the minor leagues, bumping Wetherholt up to No. 3 in the rankings. Wetherholt trails only second baseman Kevin McGonigle (No. 1) and outfielder Max Clark (No. 2), both in the Detroit Tigers’ system.
Law penciled Wetherholt in ahead of shortstops Colt Emerson (No. 4, Seattle Mariners) and Jesús Made (No. 5, Milwaukee Brewers).
“What if Wetherholt was, in fact, the best player in the 2024 draft class all along?” Law wrote. “He slipped to the seventh pick in large part because he was hurt so much of the spring with a recurring hamstring issue that dated back to the previous summer.”
Through his first dozen games since being promoted to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Wetherholt posted a slash line of .340/.385/.787. During that same stretch, he belted five home runs and accounted for eight RBIs.
As of Wednesday, Wetherholt had registered 24 multi-hit games in the minors this season. Four have come for Memphis, including a four-hit effort against the Toledo Mud Hens on July 18. Five days later, against the Gwinnett Stripers, he had a pair of homers.
“He’s probably going to move over to second base in deference to a plus defender at some point, but he’s an average or so shortstop with good instincts,” Law said. “The value here is the bat, and he can really, really hit.”
Wetherholt stayed put as the No. 16 prospect in MLB.com’s recent refresh. MLB.com also has Pittsburgh Pirates prospects Konnor Griffin and Bubba Chandler in its No. 1 and No. 5 spots, respectively.
Law feels Griffin, a shortstop/outfielder, is No. 10, while the right-handed pitcher, Chandler, is two spots behind.
