WVU second baseman JJ Wetherholt has put together a historic sophomore season to help catapult the Mountaineers into the top 10 in the national rankings, as well as the top of the Big 12 standings. With a nation’s best .466 batting average paired with 15 home runs and 56 runs batted in, Wetherholt has garnered legitimate buzz for prestigious individual awards and accolades such as being college baseball’s hitting champion, the Big 12 Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award (best amateur player in the country).
Wetherholt also racked up a number of mid-season recognition, as he was named a to a mid-season Golden Spikes Award watch list as well as a watch list for the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award. Wetherholt was also named D1 Baseball’s No. 1 second baseman in a weekly power ranking before WVU’s series at Kansas State in early April.
After going 8-for-16 at the plate with two home runs and four runs batted in against Pitt and Texas Tech, Wetherholt was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the third time this season.
Wetherholt has not let the individual success cloud his main vision, as the Mars, Pennsylvania native focuses strictly on the success and improvement of the team.
“I’m more focused on the team aspect of things, Wetherholt said after WVU series’ clinching win on Sunday over Texas Tech. “I want that conference championship. That was something I circled out in the beginning of the year. Obviously, we want to host a regional. If I do my part, and I focus on the team stuff, then some of that individual stuff will fall into place.”
Some of those individual accolades will likely fall in place for Wetherholt when the season reaches its end, as the superstar second baseman has made his mark on the Big 12 conference and college baseball in the 2023 season. With three regular season games left on the schedule, Wetherholt leads the batting average race by 0.12 points, as Florida Atlantic’s Nolan Schanuel trails behind.
Wetherholt’s game is not limited to just spraying singles across the diamond consistently. To go along with the .466 batting average, Wetherholt has a team-leading 15 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Since returning to the lineup after dealing with a thumb injury in mid-April, Wetherholt has hit seven home runs across 13 games.
Besides a keen eye and beautiful swing, a special skill Wetherholt brings to the plate is his ability to hit all over the field with power. Of Wetherholt’s 15 homers, six of them were taken the opposite way to left field. Of his last seven home runs since the thumb injury, three were opposite field shots coming against Pitt, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech.
Wetherholt spoke on the art of hitting to the opposite side of the field after WVU’s 5-3 win over Texas Tech on Sunday.
“It was kind of something I had last year,” Wetherholt said. “I came here (West Virginia) just hitting way better to left field, and it’s something I’ve never really lost. I kind of just stay behind the ball really well.”
Hitting consistently all over the field while driving in runs are tools that MLB scouts will flock to when Wetherholt will be draft eligible after his junior season in 2024.
Another skill Wetherholt has brought to the table is his quickness. Wetherholt plays perfectly into Randy Mazey’s aggressive game plan on the base paths, as the sophomore has a team-leading 35 stolen bases, good for fifth in the nation.
According to Future Star Series, Wetherholt is currently ranked No. 6 for MLB Draft prospects in 2024. With another strong, healthy season in 2024, Wetherholt can join the likes of pitchers Alek Manoah and Chris Enochs as the only first round selections to come out of West Virginia’s program.
With just one regular season series remaining, Wetherholt and the Mountaineers will have the opportunity to clinch the program’s first ever regular season Big 12 title with two wins at Texas or a share of the title with one win. With a strong end to the regular season and a steady performance in Arlington for the Big 12 Tournament, Wetherholt can meet his goals in hosting a regional and being a Big 12 champion.
Photo by Aaron Parker
