In the Spotlight: Rookie J Wetherholt

The Cardinal Chronicle
In the Spotlight: JJ Wetherholt
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

JJ Wetherholt had gone quiet for a few days, but the Cardinals’ rookie shortstop did not stay quiet for long.

Wetherholt opened the scoring Tuesday night at Busch Stadium with a two-run home run to center field, his ninth long ball of the season, helping set the tone in the Cardinals’ 9-6 extra-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The rookie finished 2-for-4 with the homer, two runs scored and a walk, another reminder that even when the hits are not falling, Wetherholt continues to find ways to impact the game.

After entering the night hitless over his previous three games, Wetherholt extended his on-base streak to 10 games. During that stretch, he has shown the kind of plate discipline that separates young hitters from young prospects, posting a 7:9 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

Through 46 games in his first major-league season, Wetherholt is batting .239 with a .362 on-base percentage, a .420 slugging percentage, nine home runs, 35 runs scored, 24 RBIs and five stolen bases.

The batting average may not jump off the page yet, but the overall profile does. Power. Patience. Speed. Runs created. Tough at-bats. For a rookie shortstop still learning big-league pitching, that is a pretty good foundation to build on.

Old-school take: Wetherholt does not have to be finished product in May. He just has to keep showing he belongs — and nights like Tuesday are another strong reminder that he does.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports