St. Louis Cardinals rookie standout JJ Wetherholt is in the middle of an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign. While his main goal is to secure the award at the end of the season, Wetherholt has already added another honor to his résumé after being named the 2026 Heart and Hustle Award winner for the Cardinals.
Wetherholt succeeds the Cardinals’ winner from the previous two seasons, Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals’ second baseman has emerged as a major catalyst for the club this year, with his arrival in the majors helping St. Louis outperform the expectations surrounding the team.
JJ Wetherholt’s Rookie of the Year Bid
Wetherholt has now collected an individual award and was also a common snub from the All-Star Game in July. He is now focused on capturing the biggest prize. Wetherholt is currently the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year, but he will have to hold off Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds over the final stretch of the season.
Heading into Friday night, Wetherholt owns a 4.5 bWAR, 16 home runs, and a 110 OPS+. Those are impressive figures for the former first-round selection. His offensive production has also been complemented by Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base for St. Louis.
Stewart, meanwhile, has been one of the league’s more productive hitters this season. The Reds first baseman has launched 25 home runs and posted a 122 OPS+, with the biggest statistical gap between the two players coming in the RBI department. Stewart has driven in 87 runs compared with Wetherholt’s 43, although their roles in the lineup help explain much of that difference. Stewart has spent the season hitting in run-producing spots, whereas Wetherholt has primarily occupied the leadoff role when starting.
Wetherholt serves as the Cardinals’ table setter, while Stewart operates as Cincinnati’s cleanup hitter. Their spots in the batting order naturally create different opportunities for production. The more significant distinction comes defensively, where Wetherholt has provided elite defense while Stewart has been below average at a less demanding defensive position.
St. Louis Cardinals Right Now
The Cardinals are set to host the Colorado Rockies for a weekend series beginning Friday night. St. Louis picked up its first series victory of the second half by defeating the New York Yankees on Wednesday and is Looking to right the ship after being sellers at the trade deadline while attempting to work its way back into the Wild Card race.
Offense has been the biggest weakness for St. Louis since the second half began. The Cardinals have failed to capitalize on several strong pitching performances because of a lack of run support. If they hope to turn things around, facing the struggling Rockies pitching staff could provide an ideal opportunity. Colorado currently owns the worst team ERA in baseball, giving St. Louis’ struggling hitters a favorable matchup to break out.
Jordan Walker is back in the lineup after dealing with right knee inflammation earlier this week. His return gives the Cardinals another important offensive piece as they look to find consistency at the plate and finish the season on a strong note.
