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Wetherholt

Wetherholt showed well in his time in big-league camp, but was obviously not a candidate to make the roster out of Florida. The 22-year-old should move quickly through the system, however, and could help fantasy managers and St. Louis by the end of 2026.

Wetherholt was the seventh pick of the 2024 MLB draft and hasn’t played above Low-A yet. Still, the 22-year-old shortstop was invited to spring training and impressed with an opposite field three-run home run in his first taste of game action. Wetherholt is almost certainly headed back to the minor leagues, but the Cardinals have been aggressive promoting young players in the past so it might not be too long until he’s deemed major league ready.

Neither Wetherholt or Mathews have a real shot at breaking camp with the Cardinals, but the pair of top prospects will have an opportunity this spring to leave a lasting impression on the big-league club. Wetherholt was selected seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and looked extremely impressive in his 29-game professional debut at Low-A Palm Beach, posting an .805 OPS with two homers and two steals. Mathews made arguably the biggest jump of any pitching prospect last year, turning an unexpected uptick in fastball velocity into a sparkling 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 202/49 K/BB ratio across 143 1/3 innings (26 starts) across four levels to close the year at Triple-A Memphis.

Wetherholt was selected seventh overall in last month’s MLB Draft and was considered one of the most intriguing prospects from a fantasy perspective following a stellar collegiate career at West Virginia. The 21-year-old is getting a look at shortstop for now, but could wind up eventually moving over to the keystone. It’s encouraging to see him producing since he missed nearly half of his final collegiate season due to a hamstring injury.

It’s a slightly above-slot deal for Wetherholt, who receives $6.9 million after being selected seventh overall last week out of West Virginia, according to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo. He’s among the most intriguing prospects from the 2024 MLB Draft from a pure fantasy perspective. The 21-year-old has a chance to remain at shortstop and pairs an above-average hit tool with some emerging over-the-fence pop. Simply put, there’s a lot to like in his profile, especially since he’s landed with an organization in St. Louis that isn’t afraid to push some of their top prospects with aggressive promotions.

Wetherholt missed close to half the season while dealing with a hamstring injury, and while his numbers were certainly good when he was on the field (.331/.372/.589), they pale in comparison to his sophomore campaign (449/.517/.787). Despite that dip there’s a reason many believe he’s the middle-infield prospect in the class with a chance to hit for average, steal bases and provide solid -- if unspectacular -- power numbers. He has a chance to stick at shortstop, but most believe that second base is his ultimate landing spot. The bat can certainly play at both, and Wetherholt’s advanced skill set should make him a fantasy contributor in a (relatively) short time.