FanGraphs released Steamer projections for the 2025 season, and it appears that the NL Central has plenty to be excited about. In the estimated top 10 rookies by measure of wRC+, the division has four first-year players on the list. As expected, the St. Louis Cardinals have top prospect JJ Wetherholt among the game's best future stars.
Cardinals JJ Wetherholt has competition for the league's top rookie hitter.
The expectation is that Wetherholt will make his major league debut at the start of the regular season. St. Louis has not promised their former first-round pick a starting job, as the 23-year-old just finished his first full professional season since being drafted in 2024.