St. Louis Cardinals select West Virginia SS JJ Wetherholt in 2024 MLB Draft

JJ Wetherholt is officially heading to the next level. The St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft.

Wetherholt put together three impressive years at West Virginia, but turned in his best numbers as a sophomore in 2023. That’s when he hit a career-high .449 to go with 16 home runs and 60 RBI to earn Big 12 Player of the Year honors.

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Although he only appeared in 36 games this past year due to a lingering hamstring, Wetherholt still hit .336 with eight home runs and 30 RBI. He still earned First Team All-Big 12 honors and was a Third Team All-American, according to Perfect Game, for his efforts.

All told, during his time in Morgantown, Wetherholt hit .370 with 29 home runs and 129 RBI over his three years. He also had a career .625 slugging percentage and .467 on-base percentage – further showing his success at the plate as he turns professional.

Scouting report on JJ Wetherholt

Even despite his injury issues, JJ Wetherholt remained a top prospect on the board ahead of the MLB Draft with a strong chance of going early in the first round. He was one of the best hitters available, and that’s what made him stand out to teams during the pre-draft process.

“Wetherholt might be the best pure hitter in the class and there are some area scouts who think he’s the best amateur bat they’ve ever seen,” MLB.com’s scouting report read. “The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and should have at least average power at the next level.

“A plus runner who is a legitimate base-stealing threat when healthy, the only real question about Wetherholt has been his defensive home. He was hoping to improve that area of his profile by playing shortstop for the first time this spring, but the hamstring issue kept him from seeing too much time on the dirt. Some feel he has the arm and feel to do it, while he’ll have to focus on being consistent in making the routine plays. Even if he profiles as a second baseman, though, his bat belongs near the top of Draft boards.”