Coming into the 2024 season, JJ Wetherholt was one of, if not the highest rated MLB draft prospects in the country. Mountaineer fans were super eager to watch their star blossom throughout the course of the year.
But just two series into the season, Wetherholt would suffer a hamstring injury that would keep him in the dugout for over 20 games, leaving the Mountaineers without their best player. Many fans speculated Wetherholt may never return during the season, but after fighting back through adversity, the shortstop is back to being himself just in time for post-season baseball.
WVU Baseball head coach Randy Mazey had a lot to say about his star player in the coach’s media availability prior to the start of the Big 12 Tournament.
“We knew JJ was going to be a great player from the time we first saw him,” Mazey said. “We knew he fit our recruiting philosophy just perfectly; recruit athletes with great work ethic and it will always work out.”
Mazey added to that, saying it is impossible to predict any player doing the things that his shortstop has done because not many players ever reach that level. That level this season has been a .364 batting average with eight home runs, 30 rbi, and 29 walks drawn in just 30 games.
As of right now, JJ Wetherholt currently sits as the MLBPipeline’s ninth overall pick, going to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wetherholt grew up in Mars, Pennsylvania just 20 miles away from the Pirates stadium.
One of the parts of Wetherholt’s game that certainly has some interest from MLB scouts is Wetherholt’s natural right-handedness while batting left-handed. Left-handed batters are valued in the batter’s box in the Majors but JJ is also comfortable with his right.
When asked about this, Mazey pointed to the left hand of Wethholt working pretty well and thinks it would be a bad idea to switch that up now.
“I’m a guy that’s always up for thinking outside of the box, but that would just border on insanity in my old age to put JJ at the plate right-handed.”
Mazey also stated how he does not think that Wethholt will ever take a right-handed at-bat again in his career but says he is the type of player that could pick it up quickly should he have to.
The Mountaineers were able to keep the ship afloat during the 2023 Big 12 player of the year’s absence, going above .500 in that time frame. But there has been over a run per game scoring average improvement for the team and an even better record since the return of Wetherholt in the later parts of this season.
During the media availability, Mazey was asked about everything JJ’s return meant to the team both on and off the field. The head coach mentioned Wetherholt being a leader off the field but it was more important for the players to see their leader’s play
“His first game back when we played at Kansas tells the whole story. He batted leadoff and in his first at bat after missing 25 games, he got a base hit up the middle. I think collectively the whole team realized at that point we got our guy back. I think everyone got a little bit better when that happened.”
Regular season honors were awarded to the Big 12 players at the end of the regular season and it was known Wetherholt’s missed games were going to limit the hardware he brought in. Following up his 2023 Big 12 player of the year season, Wetherholt was still an All-Big 12 first team selection this season and has been named a semifinalist for the national Dick Howser Trophy.
Post season play has already begun for the Mountaineers, but is far from finished. After a disappointing loss to start the Big 12 Tournament to TCU, West Virginia and JJ Wetherholt find themselves playing each game for their conference life right now.
Only scoring two runs in the first game, the Mountaineers could use some sparks from their future first round draft pick in the upcoming games. Going into the Big 12 Tournament, the Gold and Blue were projected as a two seed in an NCAA regional but another straight loss in Arlington could see a major drop in the rankings and potentially out of the field.
JJ Wetherholt will continue his run along with the Mountaineers in the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. ET. All games can be streamed on Big 12 Now or ESPN+.
