WVU Baseball Products Wetherholt, Scott Adjusting to MLB in St. Louis

Victor Scott II and JJ Wetherholt played together with WVU Baseball in 2022 during their junior and freshman seasons, respectively. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted them two years apart, but Scott, a fifth round pick in 2022, made his big league debut before Wetherholt, picked seventh overall in 2024, managed to catch him.

“I missed him in the minors, he was already in the bigs, so for me to get here and then him being here is just really fun. Just to know I’ve got a brother that I’ve had for a long time and continuing to grow that relationship,” Wetherholt said. “It’s been great. I mean, that’s just a relationship that started so long ago, and for us to come full circle in the big leagues is pretty special.”

Wetherholt broke out for WVU Baseball in 2023, slashing .449/.517/.787 with 24 doubles and 16 homers, rocketing up the draft boards in the process. While Wetherholt joined the Mountaineers as a relative unknown, Scott said that Wetherholt hasn’t changed from the pre-breakout freshman he got to know in Morgantown.

“In a lot of ways, he hasn’t really changed. He’s always been super grounded, always been really good at putting that bat on that ball and always been a really good defender,” Scott said. “Personality wise, he hasn’t really changed. He’s always been the same guy.”

Batting Arms Race

Scott and Wetherholt made the Cardinals’ roster out of Spring Training in 2024 and 2026. Together they’re adjusting to the perpetual arms race between pitchers and position players. Scott enjoyed his best season as a pro last year but is working through a slump to begin 2026.

“Last year I learned a lot, man, and so to be able to apply some of those things I learned last year to this year, that’s my main goal…

knowing that hitting is a marathon throughout the season and not a sprint. Just making sure I’m staying on top of my preparation, staying on top of my work, and trying to be the most consistent that way,” Scott said. “You’re always one hit away from getting out of something that you’re in, man. So always kinda having that mindset, knowing that ‘hey, you’re one hit away.’”

Courtesy of St. Louis Cardinals

One of Wetherholt’s biggest strengths is his ability to hit to the opposite field, but he said that with the variety of offerings pitchers can throw these days — sweepers, splinkers and the like in addition to the traditional fastball, slider, curveball and changeup arsenal — he has to prepare for anything.

“It stays consistent for the most part. Guys throw so many pitches now that you kinda have to look out over the plate, be on time for a fastball and just give yourself enough time to adjust to other stuff,” Wetherholt said. “It’s a little bit harder to execute. That’s kind of what I’ve noticed so far being up here, just haven’t been driving the ball that way as much as I’d like to, so that’s something that I’m continuing to try to work on, to execute, and the more I’ll be able to execute on it, the better I’ll be.”

Power Surge

A 5-foot-9, 190-pound middle infielder, Wetherholt isn’t the type of player expected to rely on plus power, but he said he’s managed to grow his game through simple strength training. After laying the lumber for WVU Baseball, Wetherholt hit 10 home runs in 47 games with the Memphis Redbirds, St. Louis’ Triple-A affiliate, in 2025, and is on pace for a 20-home run season in the big leagues with three in his first 24 games this year.

“Freshman year, I was scouted as not a lot of power, sophomore year was when the power jumped in college. Just really from practicing and strength training, things like that,” Wetherholt said. “I’ve continued to develop on it a little bit, I think. For me it jumped a little bit in Triple-A ball, just being more comfortable throughout the year. At the big league level I’m just trying to settle in more and hopefully it will come out more.”

Wetherholt said that retired WVU Baseball head coach Randy Mazey also helped him grow as a player — and that Mazey remains a strong influence, helping him stay steady through the ups and downs of a sport like baseball, where even the best hitters fail more than two-thirds of the time.

“Just keeping an even-keeled mindset. I definitely did a lot of maturing there [at WVU]. And yeah, Maze was huge in just keeping my head straight, focusing on getting better each and every day and looking at things as a process,” Wetherholt said. “So he’s been great. I talk to him a bunch, and just continue to develop with what he’s taught me.”