The St. Louis Cardinals will look drastically different in 2026 than they have in previous years.

The Cardinals are well into a rebuild this offseason and have traded several veterans, including pitcher Sonny Gray, first baseman Willson Contreras and third baseman Nolan Arenado, gathering assets for the future.

These plethora of deals, plus ones that are likely still to come, have led to very little optimism from fans that the team will be competitive next season.

However, there is one thing for St. Louis fans to look forward to: the impending arrival of the organization's top prospect, infielder JJ Wetherholt.

Wetherholt was the Cardinals' first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia and is ranked as the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Wetherholt was a quick riser in St. Louis' minor league system in 2025. After playing 29 games in Single-A in 2024, Wetherholt skipped High-A entirely in '25 and started the year in Double-A.

The former Mountaineer ended the year with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, having been promoted on July 7. He slashed .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS across 109 games in Double-A and Triple-A. He hit 28 doubles, two triples and 17 home runs with 59 RBIs. Ten of his 17 homers came in 47 games with the Redbirds.

Wetherholt is projected to make his major league debut in 2026 and he has a chance to break camp with the club.

In a story published by John Denton of MLB.com, Wetherholt discussed his focus going into this season compared to '25.

"It’s completely different now,"  Wetherholt said in the story. "Last year was to have the experience (in the minor leagues), and this year it’s to make the team. Simply put, (making the team) is what I’m trying to do, and everything is going to look different. This year, I’m trying to make a team and continue those relationships I built."

In Denton's story, several other figures in the organization, including Gold Glove-winning shortstop Masyn Winn, had kind words for the top-five prospect.

"Everybody knows about him on the offensive side," Winn said. "That’s going to be an explosion for us, and I think it’s going to spark this club. I’m excited to play with him whether he’s at third or second. And I’m excited to see him swing (the bat) in person because all I’ve heard from my boys down in Triple-A is that the dude rakes."

Whatever 2026 holds for the Cardinals, Wetherholt's rookie of the season will undoubtedly give fans something to look forward to.

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