August and September are the months of the year during which forward-looking teams opt to give opportunities to players who could soon be everyday starters. The St. Louis Cardinals, currently sitting fourth in the NL Central (with a 61-61 record) and four games out of a playoff spot, could soon be one of those teams.
The Cardinals are well-represented in MLB Pipeline’s list of top 100 prospects, with two in the top 35 (infielder JJ Wetherholt at No. 6, and pitcher Liam Doyle at No. 35) and another two in the bottom half (catchers Leonardo Bernal at No. 74 and Rainiel Rodriguez at No. 99).
Wetherholt, who has already reached Triple-A, is the closest of the four to make his big-league debut. But just because Wetherholt is nearly sniffing the major leagues with the Memphis Redbirds, it doesn’t mean he is close to a promotion to St. Louis — in the eyes of Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, at least.
In an Aug. 13 appearance on 101 ESPN’s “The Morning After STL” show, Mozeliak revealed that the organization does not plan to call up Wetherholt at any point during the 2025 season.
“It’s not the protection year, so I think it’s not necessarily in the best interest for the organization to do that,” Mozeliak said. “Even though it might be fun and exciting, you’re not forced to put them on the roster this offseason. And that’s definitely something that should be a part of the equation.”
Mozeliak’s announcement serves as a rare setback for Wetherholt in what has been a strong season for the 22-year-old prospect. Three days ago, he was named the Cardinals’ Minor League Player of July after putting together a .306/.395/.708 slash line, launching seven home runs, driving in 16 runs and scoring 18 more in 19 games with the Red Birds and the Springfield Cardinals, the organization’s Double-A affiliate.
Originally the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt is hitting .300 with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs, 61 runs scored and a .930 OPS across 85 total appearances in 2025.
