22-year-old Wetherholt has remarkable poise on field -- and at chess

JUPITER, Fla. ¨C An avid chess player, JJ Wetherholt recently showed off his noticeable confidence and comfort in an MLB clubhouse by taking on fellow infielder Brendan Donovan, universally known throughout the Cardinals¡¯ clubhouse as an elite player because of his tactical and strategic approach to the game.

Not only did the 22-year-old take Donovan out on the chess board, but he did it coolly and efficiently. Donovan, one of the first veteran Cardinals players to approach Wetherholt last month and offer him assistance in his first MLB Spring Training, came away impressed ¨C both on the chess board and the baseball diamond.

¡°Very calculated ¡­ he¡¯s really good ¡­ good game, but he got me in the end,¡± Donovan said, shaking his head after the chess showdown with the rookie.

Sometimes, it¡¯s difficult to remember or even fathom that Wetherholt ¨C the No. 1 prospect in the Cardinals¡¯ system and their first top 10 Draft pick in 26 years ¨C is only 22 years old with the way he oozes confidence and how he¡¯s completely comfortable around players more accomplished than him. Others have marveled at what a natural fit he is already in an MLB dugout and clubhouse ¨C even though he¡¯s only played at Single-A Palm Beach since being picked No. 7 overall by the Cards in last June¡¯s MLB Draft.

• 1 prospect from every team making noise this spring

¡°It¡¯s a nice trait when you are young and you are comfortable in your own skin,¡± Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Wetherholt, who was reassigned to the club¡¯s Minor League camp on Wednesday. ¡°He knows what he brings to the table, he¡¯s confident with it and he is completely comfortable with what he does not know."

Wetherholt will be one of the stars on display on Friday when St. Louis¡¯ top young talent takes on the Marlins¡¯ Minor Leaguers in MLB¡¯s second annual Spring Breakout, a showcase series designed to promote and show off the game¡¯s rising Minor League stars. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. CT (TV: FanDuel Sports Midwest Network).

The Cardinals¡¯ two Top 100 prospects ¨C Wetherholt (No. 23) and left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews (No. 45) ¨C are scheduled to participate. The Cards have 15 of their Top 30 prospects and eight of their Top 10 on the roster, including catchers Jimmy Crooks (No. 4) and Leonardo Bernal (No. 7), MLB hopeful Thomas Saggese (No. 5) and 2023 first-round pick Chase Davis (No. 10).

Wetherholt is excited about the stage provided by MLB for young players to show off their talents.

¡°You want to win every game that you play, but with this one, there will really be a lot of incentive [to win] because it¡¯s our guys against your guys,¡± Wetherholt said. ¡°I¡¯m excited to play with the best guys in the [organization] who are going through the same things and trying to get up to the Major League level.¡±

Wetherholt showed the Cardinals that he might be ready for MLB sooner than most prospects because of his advanced bat and his calmness on the big stage. The shortstop/second baseman hit a three-run homer on Feb. 23 in his first MLB Spring Training game. On March 8 vs. the Nationals, the speedster showed how his speed can impact a game when he reached on an error, moved to second on a fielder¡¯s choice and then stole third and scored on the catcher¡¯s errant throw to the base.

• Cards' top Draft pick adjusting well to pro ball

¡°The in-game experience has been great for me because I¡¯ve been able to get a good bit of games starting, and that means you are facing other big league arms, which is huge for my development,¡± the 2023 NCAA batting champion (.449) at West Virginia said. ¡°They¡¯re beating me right now, but I know in my mind, ¡®I can hit this. I mean, I know that I can hit this.¡¯ It¡¯s just about getting reps in, seeing what these [MLB] guys are about, how good they are and how much better I need to get.¡±

Could Wetherholt¡¯s advancement be so rapid that he makes it to the big leagues at some point in 2025? Marmol wouldn¡¯t be shocked to see that from a player who clearly is not overwhelmed by baseball on its grandest stage.

¡°What a stud,¡± Marmol said. ¡°I think JJ¡¯s going to play for a very long time. I love his actions, the way he carries himself, his mentality and his approach at the plate. You couple that with his skill set, and you¡¯ve got a guy who plays in the big leagues for a long time.¡±