JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals Agree on New Long Contract Extension

As a reward for his breakout rookie season, the St. Louis Cardinals and JJ Wetherholt have agreed to a longterm contract extension.

Wetherholt’s new deal with the Cardinals is for eight years and worth $112.5 million, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The WVU product is hitting .267 with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs, nine stolen bases and a slash line that finishes with a .362 OBP and a .411 slug through 87 games and 341 at-bats as of Friday, July 10.

Drafted with the No. 7 overall pick by the Cardinals in 2024, Wetherholt played in both Double-A and Triple-A throughout 2025. Across both levels, Wetherholt hit 28 doubles, 17 home runs, 59 RBI, and stole 23 bases. He was named the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month in July.

Wetherholt made an impact during his three seasons with the Mountaineers from 2022 to 2024. With West Virginia, Wetherholt hit 29 total home runs, 129 RBI, stole 57 bases, and had an overall batting average of .370. He was named the Big 12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year in 2022.

Find more coverage of JJ Wetherholt at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, WV Sports Now’s Griffin Floyd spoke with JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott during their road trip in Miami to play the Marlins early in the 2026 season.