MLB draft 2024: Cardinals draft West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt, former Mars baseball star, No. 7
JJ Wetherholt, West Virginia’s star middle infielder and a former standout baseball player at Mars High School, heard his name called early in Sunday’s MLB draft.
But it wasn’t by the hometown Pittsburgh Pirates. No, it was a bitter rival. The St. Louis Cardinals took the local product No. 7 overall.
Wetherholt starred for the Planets for three years, earning All-WPIAL MVP honors, and graduated from Mars in 2021.
“It’s an unbelievable experience,” he said on the draft stage in Arlington, Texas. “I’m blessed to be here, and the fans cheered for me so I’m just super excited.”
He shined for three years at WVU, winning the NCAA Division I batting title with a triple-slash line of .449/.517/.787, 16 home runs and 24 doubles. A serious hamstring injury at the start of this season nearly ended his collegiate career four games into 2024, but he returned to play 36 games and hit .331/.472/.589.
“(The Cardinals are) getting a baller, man,” he said on the broadcast. “I can do it all. I can do a little bit of everything, and I’m a learner. So I’m super excited to see what the Cardinals can do to make me be a better player, and I’m just excited to be a Cardinal.”
Scouts have praised his ability to hit to all fields as a left-handed batter.
“The West Virginia standout missed a chunk of the season because of a hamstring injury, but an argument can be made that he’s one of the top pure hitters in the class,” MLB.com’s scouting report said. “The left-handed hitter can drive the ball to all fields and is a plus runner with a very advanced approach at the plate.”
Wetherholt was projected at times to go as high as the top pick to the Cleveland Guardians and had also been linked to the Pirates — another former Planet, David Bednar, is the closer — on occasion.
Wetherholt is the highest drafted player to come out of Mars, according to Baseball Reference; starting pitcher Will Bednar, David’s younger brother, was selected 14th overall in 2021 by the San Francisco Giants out of Mississippi State and is currently pitching in Double-A Richmond.
Congratulations @jj_wetherholt on living out your childhood dream!!!@cardinals Got a true future face of the franchise! Great player but even better person pic.twitter.com/vWBJ9f4Ycj
— Mars HS Baseball (@MarsHSBaseball) July 14, 2024
No. 4 draft prospect JJ Wetherholt stops by the desk to talk through his excitement for tonight, his exceptional career at @WVUBaseball and more!
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 14, 2024
The #MLBDraft begins NEXT on MLB Network 📺 pic.twitter.com/2YaeCP2fBb
The Pirates drafted Konnor Griffin, a high school shortstop out of Jackson Prep (Miss.) at No. 9. Griffin was the 2024 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year.
The Guardians, picking No. 1 overall for the first time in club history, took Oregon State middle infielder Travis Bazzana.
Another NL Central rival, Cincinnati, took Wake Forest right-handed pitcher Chase Burns with the second pick. The Chicago Cubs took Florida State third baseman Cam Smith 14th overall. Outfielder Braylon Payne (Fort Bend Elkins High, Texas) went No. 17 to the Milwaukee Brewers.
