Three up-and-coming St. Louis Cardinals players who have earned a spot in the major leagues due to their exceptional performance in the minor leagues.
It's nearly June, and the Minor League baseball season is in full swing. Some players are shining bright, surpassing the level they currently play at, and that's certainly the case for a few up-and-coming stars in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.
The Cardinals are no strangers to bad luck when it comes to their top prospects and injuries, but even with a laundry list of sidelined stars, there are still some shining lights around the organization.
JJ Wetherholt
Drafted 7th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt has been nothing short of impressive since turning pro. On offense, the West Virginia alum has an impressive .810 OPS over 46 games, with 3 home runs, 28 RBIs, 24 walks, and 24 strikeouts. What sets Wetherholt apart, you ask? He's walked as many times as he's struck out so far in his career.
Defensively, the 22-year-old has logged 280 innings at shortstop and another 10 at second base. With only 3 errors (all at shortstop), Wetherholt has proven his fielding skills and should have no trouble sticking at shortstop moving forward.
Despite missing over a week thanks to a stomach bug, Wetherholt has still managed a .300/.403/.417 slash line over 17 games. After a rough start (0-14 to begin the season), he's bounced back in a big way, leading many to wonder when the Cardinals will finally promote him to Triple-A.
Travis Honeyman
A former 3rd-round draft pick in 2023, Honeyman has had some bad luck with injuries, unfortunate at any level. A polished college hitter from Boston College, Honeyman struggled with staying on the field in 2024, appearing in only 20 games between the FCL and Low-A levels. However, he still managed a solid .343/.415/.493 line with 11 extra-base hits during that span.
Now in the 2025 season, Honeyman has increased his games played total, appearing in 15 games for Low-A Palm Beach. So far this year, he's kept up the pace, carrying an .898 OPS and getting a hit in 11 of his 15 games. With health being the obvious factor, it's time for Honeyman to be pushed up to High-A to be challenged more and see how he holds up against tougher competition.
Josh Kross
A relative unknown, Kross is a player to keep an eye on. Drafted in the 6th round of the 2024 MLB draft, Kross has done nothing but mash the baseball so far. In fact, he's already won the Cardinals' Player Development Player of the Month award for his performance at the plate.
The 22-year-old has split his time evenly between catcher and first base this season for Palm Beach. While it might be his future position, it's still exciting to have the versatility moving forward as he climbs through the minors, and a promotion to High-A Peoria could come soon after this impressive start.
- JJ Wetherholt, drafted 7th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, has added an interesting fact to his game by walking as many times as he's struck out.
- In addition to his impressive offense stats, Wetherholt has proven his defensive skills at shortstop with only 3 errors in 280 innings.
- Travis Honeyman, a former 3rd-round draft pick in 2023, has talked about overcoming his injury history this season, as he aims to be pushed up to High-A to face tougher competition.
- Josh Kross, a relative unknown drafted in the 6th round of the 2024 MLB draft, has been shining bright in the Minor League baseball season for the St. Louis Cardinals, earning the Player Development Player of the Month award for his impressive performance at the plate.
