Wetherholt finishes 3rd in NL Rookie of the Year Award voting
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A head-turning first season in the Majors netted the Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt recognition as a finalist for the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year Award, reflective of the 24-year-old's flashy introductory campaign for manager Oliver Marmol.
Wetherholt, who was the Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in baseball entering the 2026 season, according to MLB Pipeline, made St. Louis’ Opening Day roster as its starting second baseman. He proved to have an excellent eye at the plate and a tremendous glove at the keystone position, though right wrist tendinitis limited him to just 49 games after the All-Star break and slowed his torrid first-half pace.
Nonetheless, Wetherholt's debut campaign was impressive enough that he garnered 99 overall points in the Rookie of the Year balloting, netting three first-place votes, 12 second-place votes, six third-place votes, five fourth-place votes and two fifth-place votes.
Those 99 points were the third-most among all National League finalists, behind the Reds' Sal Stewart (the overall winner with 170 points) and the Mets' Carson Benge (107, finishing in second place).
Overall, Wetherholt produced a .242/.339/.365 slash line with 17 home runs and 14 steals in 15 attempts, ranking in the 75th percentile or better among qualified hitters in expected weighted on-base average (.347, 82nd percentile), hard-hit rate (44.9%, 76th), squared-up rate (30.1, 88th), chase rate (21.2%, 94th), whiff rate (20.2%, 75th), strikeout rate (16.8%, 77th) and baserunning run value (+4, 91st).
Where Wetherholt excelled the most, however, was in the field. His +23 fielding run value, according to Statcast, was not only the highest among MLB second basemen last season, but also the second-highest fielding run value of any player in the game, regardless of position -- trailing only the +26 produced by NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs. The same goes for Wetherholt’s +25 outs above average.