Cardinals Top Prospect Reportedly Could 'Pretty Quickly' Earn His Way To Debut

St. Louis has a young stud on the way

Jul 29, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals' future is uncertain as fans continue to protest the organization's approach and the direction of their favorite team.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has made poor decisions throughout his tenure with St. Louis and now the 11-time World Series champion franchise can't even get fans to buy tickets.

It's tough to see the glass as half full for Cardinals fans at the moment but fortunately, there's a young phenom on the way who could quickly become St. Louis' next superstar.

"In heavy consideration for the No. 1 overall pick in July, Wetherholt went to the Cards at No. 7 and St. Louis was elated to add arguably the best pure hitter in this class," MLB.com's Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo wrote Thursday when predicting each team's 2026 top prospect.

Wetherholt was a stud at the University of West Virginia, earning the Division I batting title and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after slashing .449/.517/.787 with 16 homers and 36 steals in 2023. He currently plays for Single-A Palm Beach, hitting .216 with three extra-base hits including one home run, 10 RBIs and a .643 OPS in 22 games played.

"Hamstring issues limited him last spring and will make his speed worth following in pro ball. If not for Masyn Winn’s presence at the six, Wetherholt could push pretty quickly toward the Majors, but he’ll likely hang onto prospect status by 2026." Dykstra and Mayo continued.

The 21-year-old is the Cardinals No. 1 ranked top prospect but with Winn looking like the next face of the franchise, Wetherholt will likely have to move over to playing second or third base -- positions he's used to playing -- if he stays with St. Louis. Watching him develop over the next couple of seasons should be exciting.

More MLB: Cardinals Ace Surprisingly Ranks Among Best Pitchers In NL Despite Recent Regression