Star rookie Wetherholt signs 8-year extension with Cardinals
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Not only has Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt been arguably the best rookie in the National League, he's also been one of the finest players in the sport in 2026. Now he's getting rewarded for that success, as Wetherholt and St. Louis agreed on a contract extension that runs through the 2034 season.
The contract is for eight years and $112.5 million, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
"We are proud of the person JJ is and the player he continues to become, and are pleased to enter into this commitment with him," Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in a statement. "JJ is a very important part of what we are building, and we look forward to winning together for many years.”
Drafted seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt, 23, is enjoying a strong rookie campaign in St. Louis. His 13 homers entering Friday rank second among NL rookies, while his 91 hits rank third and his .773 OPS ranks fifth. He also leads all NL rookies with 57 runs scored.
But his contributions haven't been limited to his bat. On defense, Wetherholt leads all MLB second basemen with 16 Outs Above Average. The total package has been worth 3.9 bWAR so far, also the highest among MLB second basemen and fourth among NL position players.
He enters Friday hitting .319 with an .822 OPS over his past 12 games.