Standing just 5-foot-9 with neither elite bat speed nor a particularly strong throwing arm, JJ Wetherholt does what he can to make up for a lack of high-end skills. “I’ve always had to feel like I needed to be good…
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt finished third in the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting on Monday night. Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart won the award, with New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge finishing second. Wetherholt earned 99 points and received three first-place votes after a standout campaign as the Cardinals' regular leadoff hitter.
The 24-year-old posted a .242/.339/.365 slash line with 17 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 4.6 fWAR across his rookie season. Defensively, Wetherholt excelled at second base, recording +25 outs above average and a +23 fielding run value.
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