Translation result
[MyDaily = Jinseong Kim] “If Wetherholt keeps up this pace, he won’t stop at Rookie of the Year.”
JJ Wetherholt (24, St. Louis Cardinals) has emerged as one of the season’s most impressive rookies. He’s familiar to Korean fans because his grandmother is Korean. WBC rules kept him off Korea’s roster in March, and he was reportedly disappointed not to represent the country.
He’s been making up for that disappointment with his on-field production. Through June 1 (KST), in 56 games he’s posted 216 at-bats with 54 hits for a .250 batting average, 9 home runs, 25 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 7 stolen bases, a .362 on-base percentage, a .407 slugging percentage and a .769 OPS. Among this year’s MLB rookies, he ranks second in runs, fourth in homers, fifth in hits, seventh in steals and eighth in RBIs.
Wetherholt’s value is even more pronounced on defense. FanGraphs lists his WAR at 2.4, 14th overall in MLB. He owns a 10 OAA (third overall), a 10 FRV (third overall), and an 8 DRS (11th overall). Among second basemen, his DRS is second-best in MLB, while the other defensive metrics place him first at the position.
Given those numbers, talk of both the National League Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove at second base is reasonable. On June 2 (KST), The Athletic picked one likely award candidate from each club — and for the Cardinals, it’s Wetherholt.
The Athletic wrote, “The Cardinals’ 2024 first-round pick has become the focal point of a competitive St. Louis club. He’s contributing on both sides of the ball. If the season ended today, Wetherholt would be a unanimous Rookie of the Year choice. It’s hard to imagine that changing by September.”
They added, “Wetherholt’s 2.5 fWAR leads all rookies in both the American and National Leagues. Through the first third of the season he’s hit nine homers and stolen seven bases; he’s on pace to finish comfortably as a 20/20 player. He leads second basemen in OAA with 10.”
The Athletic continued, “Wetherholt’s DRS sits at nine, second only to Cole Young of the Seattle Mariners. That’s a stronger mark than Platinum Glove winner Brice Turang of the Brewers. The rookie record for DRS by a second baseman is 12. So if Wetherholt maintains this pace, he won’t just win Rookie of the Year.”
Ultimately, the key question is how long Wetherholt can sustain this hot stretch.
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