Speaking on 'Cardinal Territory' on Monday night, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Gibson spoke to fans about the patience needed with top prospect J.J. Whetherholt.

He said that people in the front office aren't going to be swayed by fan opinion regarding Wetherholt's timeline for debut, and they'll continue to do what's best for him in terms of his development.

About Wetherholt

Currently ranked as the No. 5 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, Wetherholt is a versatile infielder. Now 23, he was drafted No. 7 overall by the Cardinals in 2024 out of West Virginia. He is projected to make his major league debut this season.

Playing 109 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, he hit .306 in 2025 with 17 home runs, 59 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.

What they're saying

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

The former Mountaineer is still an above-average runner down the line despite the injuries (hamstring in college), He opened his college career with time at second and third but moved to short in 2024, a transition he continued in the Minors. He has the arm and athleticism to handle the six but will bump into Masyn Winn at the position if he continues up the St. Louis chain, at which time a move elsewhere shouldn't be a major concern.

Baseball America recently called him a 'slam dunk' prospect.

How do the Cardinals handle him?

Just as mentioned above: He'll likely have to move to second or third because of Wynn, who just won the Gold Glove at shortstop. With the Cardinals set to trade Nolan Arenado this offseason, third base should be open, though don't expect the Cardinals to rush him - per Gibson's point.

About Kyle Gibson

A well-traveled pitcher, Gibson spent parts of 13 years in the big leagues with the Twins, Orioles, Rangers, Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. He was only with the Cardinals for one season (2024), going 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts.

He was a one-time All-Star who helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 2022, winning 112 games in total.

He now pairs with Matt Holliday and Lance Lynn to make up the popular 'Cardinals Territory' show.

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