Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt has been not just arguably the best rookie in the National League, he's been one of the finest players in the sport in 2026. And he's been rewarded for that success, as Wetherholt and St. Louis have agreed on a contract extension that buys out multiple years of free agency, according to a report from Jeff Passan of ESPN on Friday.
The contract is for eight years and $112.5 million, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The team has not confirmed the deal.
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.
He enters Friday hitting .319 with an .822 OPS over his past 12 games.