JJ Wetherholt Hits a Jack and Multi-Base Performance in St. Louis Cardinals' Loss to Chicago Cubs
Key keywords: JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, MLB regular season, NL Central rivalry, home run, RBI, Wrigley Field, rookie infielder, game loss
The Wednesday NL Central rivalry clash between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field ended in a 7-4 win for the home side, but rising Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt delivered a standout individual performance that included both a "jack" (slang for home run) and a multi-hit "bag" of offensive contributions, even as his team fell short in the high-stakes contest. Selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has rocketed through the minor league system this season to lock down a regular spot in the St. Louis infield, splitting time between second and third base while earning praise for his rare combination of contact hitting, raw power, and elite base-running speed.
In Wednesday’s matchup, the 22-year-old appeared at the plate four times, notching two hits, two RBIs, one run scored, and a stolen base to round out his impressive stat line. His third-inning jack was a 413-foot no-doubt blast to left field that cleared the iconic Wrigley Field bleachers, cutting the Cubs’ early 3-0 lead to just one run and injecting much-needed energy into the Cardinals’ dugout after a sluggish start. Wetherholt followed up that big hit with a line-drive single to right field in the seventh inning, advancing two runners into scoring position before a late groundout from the next batter snuffed out the potential game-tying rally.
While the Cardinals’ pitching staff struggled to contain the Cubs’ offense, surrendering three runs in the first inning and four more across the rest of the game, Wetherholt’s consistent production has emerged as a reliable bright spot for the team as they fight to stay in the National League wild card race. Over his last 15 games, Wetherholt is batting .349 with a .981 OPS, 7 home runs, and 20 RBIs, putting him firmly in the running for National League Rookie of the Year honors. The loss leaves the Cardinals 3.5 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central standings with only 12 regular season games left on the schedule for both teams. Though the final result disappointed St. Louis fans, Wetherholt’s latest strong showing further cements his status as one of the most promising young core pieces for the Cardinals franchise moving forward.
Featured Comments
As a lifelong Cardinals fan, I’m gutted we dropped this huge rivalry game, but JJ is literally the only reason I’m still excited to watch our team play right now. That jack he hit at Wrigley was absolutely massive, and he’s been our most consistent hitter for a month straight. If we can build the lineup around him next season, we’re going to be dangerous.
Cubs fan here, I was actually panicking every time Wetherholt stepped up to the plate last night. That home run he hit would have cleared any stadium in the league, and he’s been terrorizing our pitching staff all season. Thank god our closer struck him out in the 8th with two men on, or we might have blown that lead. Dude is a legit star in the making.
This is exactly why JJ Wetherholt is getting so much Rookie of the Year buzz right now. Even in a losing effort, he’s putting up productive at-bats, getting on base, hitting for power, and playing solid defense on the infield. He might not beat out some of the other top rookies this year, but he’s definitely going to be a household name in the MLB for the next decade.
I don’t care that we lost, JJ’s performance last night was worth the price of admission alone. The fact that we have a 22-year-old kid who can show up and perform that well in a hostile rivalry environment on the road says everything about his mindset and talent. Can’t wait to see what he does next.