The dream of reaching the big leagues has churned inside of standout hitter JJ Wetherholt all his life. It pushed him through the youth ball days when he was playing alongside the sons of several Pittsburgh Pirates players, buoying him as he was surging to All-American status in college and as he was systematically tearing his way through the Cardinals’ Minor League system.
Now that he is seemingly on the precipice of accomplishing that life-long pursuit -- a strong Spring Training in February could be the only remaining hurdle between him and his MLB debut -- the 23-year-old Wetherholt doesn’t want to let off the proverbial throttle in the slightest. Instead, he's ready to power through the coming challenges.
“Every step that I take it becomes more real, but you’ve just got to focus on the process and the daily work that you put in,” said Wetherholt, who was named the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year on Wednesday. “It’s easy right now to get caught up in, ‘you’re almost there, you’re almost there, you’re almost there,’ but then you don’t go work at things with the same hunger that you’ve always had before I was here.
“So, something I’m trying to do now is not buy in to myself or everybody talking about me. I just want to continue to work hard. If you work the right way, it will come. So, that’s been my focus -- drown out the noise and enjoy this process.”
Wetherholt certainly enjoyed a 2025 season that showed again why he is the No. 5 overall prospect in MLB, per MLB Pipeline. The sweet-swinging lefty slashed .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS, 17 home runs, 28 doubles, two triples, 59 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in 2025. He was one of six players across the Minor Leagues to slash more than .300/.400/.500 while also stealing at least 20 bases. By accomplishing that feat, he became the first Cardinals Minor Leaguer to do so in 59 years (Ted Savage, 1966).
“JJ’s 2025 season was a model of consistent excellence, both in the form of on-field results and in process,” said Larry Day, the Cardinals' director of player development. “He combined elite swing decisions and contact quality with relentless daily preparation, and his commitment to refining every aspect of his game on both sides of the ball was evident from start to finish.”
The same could be said for 2022 second-round pick Brycen Mautz, who was named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2025. The 24-year-old Mautz worked out the kinks that torpedoed his 2024 season and went 8-3 with a 2.98 ERA over 25 starts in Double-A in 2025. Mautz’s consistency was so strong that he struck out 134 hitters and walked just 33 over 114 2/3 innings.
Not only did he lead Springfield to a Texas League crown, but Mautz’s stellar work in 2025 earned him a spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. Gold Glove catcher Leonardo Bernal, MiLB All-Star outfielder Joshua Baez and Mautz worked their way onto the MLB roster with their play while leading Springfield to an 88-50 record in which the club captured both the first and second-half titles.
“It’s definitely in the back of my head [that I am one call away from my MLB debut], and it’s more of a motivating factor than anything else to keep the foot on the gas,” said Mautz, who will likely receive an invite to MLB Spring Training and could start the season at Triple-A Memphis. “I want to stick to what I’m doing day in and day out because [reaching the big leagues] could be a very real possibility this next season.”
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has candidly mentioned that the Cardinals have already entertained trade talks for third baseman Nolan Arenado and second baseman Brendan Donovan this offseason. Those moves would be made, Bloom has said, to potentially stock the Minor League system with more promising prospects and to clear playing time for Wetherholt, who split time at three infield positions in 2025.
Wetherholt said his Spring Training cameo with the Cardinals will make him more prepared to thrive -- and potentially make the big league club -- when camp opens in early February.
“There’s familiarity with the staff and I think this year will be easier for me to take my game to the next level,” said Wetherholt, who is spending his offseason working out alongside Cardinals regulars Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker and others in Jupiter, Fla. “Last year, there was a little distant feeling of not wanting to step onto any toes while being the new guy. This year will be different, and I’ll be able to focus on my development and having more meaningful conversations with the coaches. Hopefully all of that will just make me better.”