By MATT PIKE
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt has beem one of the best rookies in the 2026 season, helping pace a rebuilding Cardinals team in the National League Central.
And Wetherholt is being rewarded for that success. Wetherholt and St. Louis have agreed on a long term contract extension according to a report from Jeff Passan of ESPN today as well as MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman. The contract is for eight years and $112.5 million, according to Heyman. The team has not confirmed the deal.
Just 23 years old, Wetherholt has slashed .267/.362/.411 in 87 games with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs, and nine steals without being caught for the Cardinals. He leads all NL rookies with 3.9 WAR according to Baseball Reference, and he ranks second among first-year players behind Detroit's Kevin McGonigle.
Currently, Wetherholt sits among the favorites to win the National League Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season, as of Friday his odds at -155, well ahead of the Cincinatti Reds Sal Stewart who sits at +450
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.