three numbers – From boos at Wrigley Field to missing the All-Star flight, JJ Wetherholt’s first half has stood out. His 3.8 fWAR, a .269/.364/.416 slash line with 13 homers, and elite defensive measures like 18 outs above average help explain why his rookie season has alread
Not long after this year’s All-Star rosters were revealed on Saturday, JJ Wetherholt walked into the batter’s box at Wrigley Field and heard a chorus of boos. The game was nationally televised. The moment could’ve rattled a rookie.
It didn’t.
Wetherholt looked composed—nothing about the hostile environment. the disappointment of missing out on All-Star honors. or the national spotlight seemed to faze him. As the All-Star break approaches. it’s hard to miss the simple truth: during his rookie campaign. the Cardinals leadoff hitter has been impact personified.
He won’t be joining teammate Jordan Walker and manager Oliver Marmol on a flight to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, but anyone who has watched Wetherholt this season understands how much he has meant to St. Louis.
Three numbers help define the kind of first half he’s been having.
Through 83 games, Wetherholt has been worth 3.8 fWAR—sixth best in the Majors and third best in the National League. WAR is designed to measure a player’s total value across offense, defense and baserunning compared to a replacement-level player. It’s not a perfect stat. but WAR leaders tend to line up with who are generally considered to be the best players in the sport. and Wetherholt has firmly placed himself in that conversation.
At the plate, his production has been just as hard to ignore. Entering Monday, he carried a .269/.364/.416 slash line with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs and 54 runs scored. He’s been 20% above MLB average by wRC+ at the plate. doing it as a rookie and providing steady output from the top of the Cardinals’ lineup.
And then there’s the defense—because Wetherholt’s value hasn’t been limited to what happens after the pitch is swung.
Entering play Monday. he led all defenders with 18 outs above average and he is on pace for 33 OAA on the season. which would be the second best mark by a defender since the stat started tracking in 2015. If someone wants the more traditional checklist. he’s there too: Wetherholt leads MLB in assists. ranks top 10 in double plays started. and has committed the fourth fewest errors (two) among all qualified second basemen.
The numbers point one way. The highlight-reel plays point the same way.
Even when the conversation turns to baserunning, the simplest stat—the stolen base total—still lands in impressive territory. Wetherholt has nine stolen bases. But his impact on the bases goes beyond swiping bags. Turning singles into doubles. doubles into triples. or taking the extra base when a teammate puts the ball in play all contribute to generating runs.
This season, he’s contributed across those parts as well, grading out with a +3 baserunning run value, tied for 12th among all MLB players.
Put all of it together and the story gets clearer: when Wetherholt gets on base, it forces quicker decisions, creates mistakes, and gives the Cardinals another way to manufacture runs.
That’s why the boos at Wrigley Field didn’t land. In his first half, nothing seems to stick to him—not the hostile crowd, not the missed All-Star call, not the weight of a spotlight. The numbers say it. The timing proves it.
JJ Wetherholt Cardinals rookie season fWAR outs above average OAA wRC+ All-Star Game Wrigley Field