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Yeah, he’s crossed HP 39 times which is tied for the team lead and at a little over 250 PA’s he places 2nd on the team with a .362 OBP. He’s also collected 7 SB’s without a CS, so he’s most definitely done his job hitting from the lead-off slot. For some perspective, insofar as BA is concerned, despite sitting at 40 pts. less than team leader Walker, he leads Jordan in OBP by 5 pts. I’d say he’s done his job really well so far, but I’ve really been impressed with his overall approach to playing the game of baseball. Especially for a rookie who made his Big League debut 2 months ago. He’s enthusiastic without going overboard and always seems to have his mind entirely focused on the game situation. His entire approach is not unlike that of a veteran Big League baseball player. However, with all those things in mind, I won’t be entirely happy with his performance until he hits about .330…
I won’t be entirely happy with his performance until he hits about .330…
TCN needs a Yogi Berra-who knew he was already here!
I dont know why the continued discussion. Hes been really good, exceeded my expectation for a first year guy so far. Sure i would like a higher avg but he manages to get on enough right now. He goes through his spells but that is normal. To me hes established himself as our second baseman and thats good enough. Hes also been a big reason our offense has improved. Obviously you cant deny walkers turnaround but that has nothing to do with jj.
As Cardinals face Mets, 5 stats illustrate JJ Wetherholt's rare rookie pace: First Pitch https://t.co/64Lc3ru9ZC
— STL Cardinals News (@STLCardsNews) June 10, 2026
Wetherholt has pulled ahead of Sal Stewart as the NL Rookie of the Year favorite, both from the oddsmakers and MLB’s poll.
https://www.mlb.com/news/kevin-mcgonigle-jj-wetherholt-lead-latest-roy-poll
Jjhas pulled his BA up about 20 points from the low point, which fuels production. Hopefully that trend continues.
Of course, BA helps, but it is a small part of what is making him successful. He was very good when his BA was 20 points lower, too. His BABIP is up to .276 so the recent improvement is likely being driven by his batted ball luck improving from an uncharacteristically very low start. Perhaps that trend will continue. No reason to suspect it won’t.
I couldn’t have hoped JJ would be this good on both sides of the ball. Pray for health and we have a superstar in the making. Now if we can develope a pitcher or two in this tier.
The highest bWAR by a rookie in Cardinals history is 2001 Albert Pujols with 6.6.
JJ Wetherholt is on pace for 7.6 bWAR this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/GiPOxXEsqt
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 22, 2026
Does playing a good 2nd base add more WAR than playing a good 1st base?
I’m asking because as good as he is he’s not the BA / HR machine Pujols was.
I expected JJ to be a really good hitter and take lots of great at bats. That part hasn’t really surprised me at all. I said he was the best hitter or second best hitter on the team coming out of Spring Training. I did not at all expect this level of defense though. At 2B, I expected maybe a little above average defense. Fortunately though, he has been first class gold glove level defense. Some of the double plays he has been turning haven’t been done by a Cardinals second baseman in a really long time. Great job JJ.
ZTR – The simple answer is yes. The formula is somewhat complicated, but different positions get credited differently with WAR. SS, CF, 2B, and C are far more valuable.
Does playing a good 2nd base add more WAR than playing a good 1st base?
I’m asking because as good as he is he’s not the BA / HR machine Pujols was.
Albert didn’t play as much 1B his rookie year (mostly OF and some 3B). Also, as good as his bat was that year, the hitting environment was pretty great at that point so his line was a little more mitigated (JJ at 129 OPS+ and Albert was 157). So JJ with great 2B gets a very big bump over Albert, who was not as good at 3B or OF, lower defensive value positions.
I’ve never been concerned with Wetherholt and his hitting. Handling the lead off spot I thought would be a challenge. But he’s been very good at that. And has played exceptional defense, damn near gold glove worthy. I think he made 2 errors early in the year, and hasn’t made any since.
I’m sure glad those rumors about Albert hitting the juice while in St. Louis turned out to be absolutely false. MLB and the players association have put an end to that. Still, when I look at the size of many of the Dodgers players as they stand in at the plate, I have to do a double take. How old is Freddy Freeman, BYW? I’m pretty sure Goldy hit 40 this year. I know he’d love to get a ring before he retires, and I wish him the best. It’s amazing how a change to a different team can revitalize a player.
Freeman will turn 37 towards the end of this season and it’s my guess he’ll be the next player to eclipse the 3000 hit plateau and, in my estimation, is the best all around hitter of the past decade. As for any rumors regarding Albert Pujols, I once heard a rumor that claimed Princess Grace was Prince Fielders sister…
Albert came up as a third baseman, had a year in left field and eventually settled in at first his third year I believe.
Wetherholt has certainly exceeded expectations so far. I did not like him installed at lead off, but was obviously wrong about that. With Arizona in town, I have thought JJ is our CC (Corbin Carroll).
Wetherholt’s been a first rate lead-off man and has featured a nice skill set in every segment of the game including intangibles such as enthusiasm, maturity and a seemingly natural instinct that latches on to the situational awareness of the overall multi-dynamics of a baseball game. He plays incredibly smart for a first year rookie and routinely carries himself on the field like a 30 year old Big League veteran. In my view, he’s not at all unlike a Tommy Edman sort of baseball player who possesses more natural talent.
jj has beem great though i dont see any comparison with albert but thats me. Though i still would prefer he wasnt leadoff but we would need a replacement for that. I would also prefer to see him closer to the 449 avg he had his sophmore year at college.
That could be 1tough. Being from the home of don mattingly, at least since the 90s, ive heard lots of stories about his high school days. I had a friend who went to school with him and watched every game he played. He said his senior year, every ball he hit was a line drive.
1td- I agree with everything you said about Wetherholt. In fact, I think it applies to the current entire lineup of Cardinals. They play with a selfless enthusiasm that is rare.
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