JJ Wetherholt came up short in the National League Rookie of the Year race, but the Cardinals still have plenty to like about where things stand.
MLB announced Reds second baseman Sal Stewart as the winner, with Wetherholt finishing third behind Mets outfielder Carson Benge. For St.
Louis, the result carried more than just individual disappointment. A Wetherholt victory would have sent an extra first-round pick to the Cardinals, but that selection now goes to Cincinnati instead.
The voting turned on a familiar debate: Stewart’s louder counting stats and All-Star nod versus the broader all-around production from Wetherholt and Benge. Stewart’s case won out with 20 of the 30 baseball writers who cast ballots.
Even without the award, Wetherholt’s first season gave the Cardinals a strong foundation to build on. He posted a .242/.339/.365 slash line with 17 home runs, and he battled through a late-season slump while still showing enough to be named a Gold Glove finalist in his debut year.
If his bat climbs another level, St. Louis could have one of the game’s best second basemen for a long time.
The organization clearly believes that, too. The Cardinals moved quickly to lock him in with an eight-year, $112.5 million extension, making sure his prime years stay in St. Louis.
There is still a path for Wetherholt to bring the Cardinals draft-pick value through the Prospect Promotion Incentive, but it’s tighter now. He would need to finish as an NL MVP finalist in 2027 or 2028, which means landing in the top three rather than necessarily winning the award.
If the Cardinals want a blueprint for what that next step can look like, they can look around their own division. Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, who shares a similar style, was a finalist this season and has paired strong baserunning and defense with an offense that jumped to better than a 120 wRC+ over the past two years.
Still, the bigger picture for St. Louis hasn’t changed much. Even if Wetherholt never delivers another draft pick, the Cardinals are betting on him as a future franchise face and a central piece of their next contending team.
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