Taking Flight: WVU shortstop selected with 7th pick in MLB draft
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FORT WORTH, Texas -- West Virginia's JJ Wetherholt has become the highest draft pick ever out of the WVU baseball program, going with the seventh selection overall to the St. Louis Cardinals in Sunday's Major League Baseball Draft.
St. Louis has been a frequent selector of Mountaineers. Most recently, the Cards picked Victor Scott (5th round, No. 157) in 2022, and also took David Carpenter (12th round, No. 376) in 2006.
Ken Smith, Scott Seabol, Jerry Meadows, Billy Biggs, Joe Van Gorder, Kevin Carpenter and Jeremy Cummings have also been tabbed by St. Louis over the years.
Wetherholt's hitting ability is undeniable. He slashed .331/.472/.589 during his 2024 junior season following an eye-popping 2023 in which he recorded a line of .449/.517/.787, topping the nation in batting average. Over his WVU career, he hit .370 with 49 doubles, three triples, 29 home runs and 129 runs-batted-in.
That's only part of his ability, though. Hampered with a hamstring injury first sustained last summer and then aggravated just a couple of games into his 2024 WVU season, he stole just six bases in his final year at WVU, but had 51 over his previous two seasons, making him a threat on the bases when fully healthy. He has also played seasons at third base, second base and shortstop for WVU, demonstrating his defensive skills at all three infield positions.
"It was awesome, and an unbelievable experience," Wetherholt said moments after getting drafted. "They are getting a baller. I can do it all and I can learn to do anything. I am super excited. West Virginia made me the player I am today."
Wetherholt joins Alek Manoah (2019) and Chris Enochs (1997) as the only first-round picks in WVU history. Manoah and Enochs were both selected No. 11 overall in their respective drafts.
Wetherholt had a solid freshman season then broke out as a sophomore, winning the Division I batting title and earning Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after hitting .449/.517/.787 with 16 homers and 36 steals. He performed well both for Team USA and in a brief stint in the Cape Cod League.
Wetherholt might be the best pure hitter in the class and there are some area scouts who think he's the best amateur bat they've ever seen.
The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and should have at least average power at the next level.
A plus runner who is a legitimate base-stealing threat when healthy, the only real question about Wetherholt has been his defensive home. He was hoping to improve that area of his profile by playing shortstop for the first time this spring, but the hamstring issue kept him from seeing too much time on the dirt. Some feel he has the arm and feel to do it, while he'll have to focus on being consistent in making the routine plays. Even if he profiles as a second baseman, though, his bat belongs near the top of draft boards.
Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana was taken by the Cleveland Guardians with the No. 1 pick.
A former cricket, rugby and soccer player who came to the United States to play baseball for Oregon State, the 21-year-old hit .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs this season. Baseball's top pick this year had a slot value of $10,570,600 under the bonus pools system that began in 2012.
Cleveland had the top pick for the first time since the draft began in 1965, winning a weighted lottery in December despite having a 2% chance. The lottery began last year as part of a collective bargaining agreement provision to discourage struggling teams from deliberately trying for a top draft pick by getting rid of veterans.
Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns went to Cincinnati with the second pick. The 21-year-old was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 191 strikeouts and 30 walls over 100 innings in 16 starts. The Reds took Demon Deacons right-hander Rhett Lowder with the seventh overall selection last year.
Colorado took Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon with the third pick. Projected first by some, the 6-foot-6 Condon led the NCAA this year with a .433 average and 37 homers. The 21-year-old homered in eight straight games from April 26 to May 9, one shy of the NCAA record, and won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player.
Teams were to make the first 74 picks Sunday at the Cowtown Coliseum, with the remainder of the 20 rounds on Monday and Tuesday. Cleveland also picked 36th and 48th.