Better know a draft prospect: JJ Wetherholt

The Royals have been heavily connected to high school players for this summer’s draft, but that could be a smokescreen for them to pursue a college bat. One of the top hitters available this year is West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt.

Hailing from the Pittsburgh area, Wetherholt went to West Virginia and established himself as one of the best hitters in the country. In 2023, he won Big 12 Player of the Year honors by leading the nation with a .449 batting average with 16 home runs and 36 steals. He also performed well against top competition in the Cape Cod League and was one of the best hitters on Team USA.

At the beginning of the year, Wetherholt was considered a candidate to go first overall, but he missed six weeks to start this season due to a hamstring injury. He came back with good numbers, but not as eye-popping as last year, with a line of .345/.487/.621 with 8 home runs and 5 steals in 34 games. He still showed an exceptional eye, drawing twice as many walks (30) as strikeouts (15).

Wetherholt is a left-handed hitter who currently plays shortstop, but most evaluators feel he will play second base at the pro level. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN writes he is an “above-average runner with an easily plus hit tool and roughly 20 homer upside.” Keith Law notes he has a high-contact approach, but also notes he is a “low walk” hitter. The 21-year-old Wetherholt posts exceptional contact numbers and solid exit velo numbers. MLB Pipeline writes that many feel he is the “best pure hitter in the class” with some even claiming “he’s the best amateur bat they’ve ever seen.”

Baseball America writes his swing is “clean and fluid” and that he “handles velocity and secondaries equally well and does a nice job recognizing pitches out of the hand and tracking the ball to the plate, with no clear holes to exploit offensively.” He is an above-average runner, but not a burner, and while his infield defense is solid, he is not considered a plus defender. He stands just 5’10’’, and his size, coupled with his injuries this year, have raised concerns about his durability.

College infielders can be a bit low-ceiling, high floor when it comes to the draft. Since 2010, when the Royals took Christian Colon out of Cal-State Fullerton with the #4 overall pick, there have been 16 college infielders selected within the first ten picks.

Wetherholt seems like a very polished product that should have a fair shot at getting to the big leagues before long. But there are questions about whether his exceptional contact ability can be valuable if his power is limited and he is an average defender at second.

Baseball America: 4

Keith Law: 4

Kiley McDaniel: 1

MLB Pipeline: 7

Perfect Game: 7

Prospects Live: 6

Still, his high-contact approach would play well at Kauffman Stadium and he could be a contributor at the big leagues soon to pair up the middle with Bobby Witt Jr. If a polished college bat like Wetherholt falls to Kansas City at #6, it may be hard to pass up.