The St. Louis Cardinals may be a team in the middle of a rebuild, but they have had a nice start to the 2026 season. At the time of this writing, the Cardinals have a 3-2 record and sit third in the National League Central. This included them picking up a 3-0 win against a very good New York Mets in their most recent game on Tuesday. The Cardinals will now be looking to defeat the Mets again on Wednesday to win their three-game series.
Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt has certainly played a role in the Cardinals’ solid start to the season, as the 23-year-old has had a strong start to his major league career this campaign. In five games with the Cardinals so far this season, he has one home run, four RBIs, six hits, and a .300 batting average. With numbers like these, the 23-year-old infielder is showing that he is not only ready to play in the majors but has the potential to make an immediate impact in the process.
With Wetherholt having a ton of potential, there is no question that he is a player who the Cardinals should be looking to build around as they continue their rebuild. As a result of this, the Cardinals are now eyeing a major move with the Baltimore, Maryland native.
St. Louis Cardinals Interested in Signing JJ Wetherholt to Contract Extension
In a recent article for The New York Post, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that the Cardinals are interested in signing Wetherholt to a contract extension.
“The Pirates made a record offer for a minor leaguer to 19-year-old phenom Konnor Griffin, who’s off to a big start at Triple-A, and sources say the Cardinals are trying to extend multitalented infielder JJ Wetherholt in what looks like the year of the rookie,” Heyman wrote.
Hearing that the Cardinals already want to lock up Wetherholt to a contract extension is not surprising in the slightest. The young infielder has the potential to blossom into a star at the major league level, and it makes him exactly the kind of young player that a rebuilding team like the Cardinals should be building their future around.
A potential comparable for a Wetherholt extension could be what Seattle Mariners top prospect Colt Emerson just landed. The 20-year-old infielder signed an eight-year, $95 million contract extension with the Mariners on Tuesday and has plenty of upside like Wetherholt.
Ultimately, if the Cardinals want to lock up Wetherholt now, there is no question that the young infielder should be looking for a nice payday. He is one of baseball’s bright young stars, and it would be huge if the Cardinals could get him signed to a multi-year contract extension for his prime years.
Cardinals’ Wetherholt Is Big Rookie to Watch This Season
With Wetherholt being one of baseball’s most exciting rookies, he is a player fans should be watching incredibly closely this season. He has also shown promise early on this season and should only get better as he continues to gain more experience.
The Cardinals have themselves a very promising player in Wetherholt, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of rookie year he has from here.
St. Louis Cardinals Eyeing Major Move With Top Prospect