#1 - INF JJ Wetherholt
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 | Overall: 55
Background:
Wetherholt entered the 2024 season widely regarded as one of the favorites to go first overall after a monster 2023 campaign at West Virginia, where he slashed .449/.517/.787 and looked like the most complete offensive player in the country. A Grade 3 hamstring strain sidelined him early in the spring, and his performance—particularly his batted-ball profile—took a step back. He was still in the mix to go 1-1 on draft night with the expectation of a big discount, but that didn’t come to fruition, opening the door for the Cardinals to land him with their 7th overall pick.
Scouting Report:
Wetherholt’s 2024 numbers at West Virginia took a step back from his breakout sophomore campaign, but the underlying skills largely held. Once he got over to pro ball with the Palm Beach Cardinals, he continued to show elite contact ability, above-average exit velocities, and one of the most advanced approaches in the class. His swing decisions were elite—ranking in the 97th percentile in chase rate while maintaining aggressiveness in-zone—and he continued to impact the ball, finishing in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate in the FSL.
Wetherholt helped fuel the Cardinals’ Florida State League title run, settling into a line-drive-heavy approach with strong zone control and minimal swing-and-miss. His batted-ball profile skewed heavily toward spray contact, and while he did a decent enough job keeping the ball off the ground, he rarely drove it in the air to his pull side. That’s the one notable area holding back his offensive ceiling. The raw power is there—his exit velocities support it—but tapping into it consistently is the biggest question. Right now, the swing is geared more for gap-to-gap, potentially 40+ double power rather than 25+ home run production.
He’s a special hitter in terms of pitch recognition, showing the ability to track spin, stay on plane, and handle both left- and right-handed pitching with equal comfort. Even if the game power stays closer to average than plus, the overall offensive package is strong enough to profile at the top of a big-league lineup.
Defensively, Wetherholt held his own at shortstop, but most evaluators expect him to settle in at second or third base, where his actions and instincts should make him a solid defender.
Future:
Wetherholt projects as a high-floor infielder with one of the best hit tools in the minors and a chance to be a standout top-of-the-order bat. If he learns to tap into his power more consistently, there’s perennial All-Star potential here. Even without big power, he brings a polished offensive game, strong defensive value at second or third, and the kind of skillset that should make him a productive big leaguer one way or another.
