It has been a very special year for the WVU baseball legend JJ Wetherholt. From being apart of the MLB All-Star Futures Team to being promoted to Triple-A, this has been about as good a year the former Mountaineer could ask for after being drafted seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Recently, that year got even better as Baseball America named the St. Louis Cardinals’ MiLB Player of the Year as none other than Wetherholt. Wetherholt hit .314 with a .978 OPS, also adding 10 home runs, 25 RBIs, and nine stolen bases to his stat line in Triple-A. Overall, for the year for both Double-A and Triple-A, Wetherholt hit .306 with a .931 OPS, adding 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 233 stolen bases for his entire 2025 season. Those numbers might earn him a chance to play on an All-Star team at just 23 years old.
This year's Minor League Player of the Year for every organization 🏆
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 22, 2025
More details: https://t.co/0fBiXSYVEb pic.twitter.com/2XhusL1GWx
Wetherholt is seemingly getting better and better as he continues to climb up the ranks. The former Mountaineer is shining on brighter stages and was shockingly not called up this season as part of the September call-ups.
What is next for one of the best WVU baseball players of all time ?
Wetherholt now goes into the 2025-2026 offseason wondering what his role next year might look like. Many Cardinals and WVU fans are hoping to see the Mars, Pennsylvania, native break spring camp with the major league team. Many wonder what more the 23-year-old needs to prove at the minor league level.
One solution to get Wetherholt into the starting lineup next year could be if the Cardinals want to move on from the $16 million contract that Gold Glover Nolan Arenado possesses. Arenado has been the target of several trade rumors at the MLB Trade Deadline, and the option to trade him during the winter offseason is very much on the table for the Cardinals. The former Colorado Rockies player does have a full no-trade clause within his contract, so Arenado would have to agree to any deal to send him to another team before it becomes official.
If the Cardinals were to send Arenado somewhere else, Wetherholt could slide right into that third base spot, a position that he has played a decent bit at the Triple-A level, appearing in 12 games at third base. With aother young prospect player, Mason Wynn, being the current Cardinals' everyday shortstop, it would take a lot for the Cardinals to want to move him somewhere else. Wynn's position in combination with Brendan Donovan being the everyday second baseman – who brings a very solid bat to the lineup – means Wetherholt might be best suited to slide into third base if it becomes open after a hypothetical Arenado trade.
If he has a good spring training, regardless of whether Arenado is on the team or not, Wetherholt has a good chance to make the big league team out of camp. If Arenado is gone, Wetherholt would likely be the new third baseman for the Cardinals.
Earning the Cardinals’ MiLB Player of the Year, Wetherholt has a great chance of making his debut early in the 2026 season for the Cardinals.