St. Louis Cardinals 2024 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: Shortstop JJ Wetherholt (1) was one of the best pure hitters in the 2024 class and one of just two players—along with Guardians first overall pick Travis Bazzana—who earned a better than plus hit tool grade. He was a career .370 hitter with West Virginia and hit .295 in his 29-game pro debut with Low-A Palm Beach. Wetherholt’s barrel manipulation in the zone and natural ability to use the entire field should allow for consistently high averages.

Best Power Hitter: The Cardinals prioritized contact-oriented hitters, but Wetherholt (1) has great strength for his size and the barrel accuracy to make the most of his raw power. Outfielder Ian Petrutz (12) has lots of strength and showed impressive exit velocity data in his pro debut.

Fastest Runner: Outfielder Bryce Madron (10) has spent most of his time on the outfield corners, but he played all three outfield positions in his pro debut with Low-A Palm Beach and stole 29 bags in two seasons with Oklahoma. Wetherholt (1) has dealt with hamstring injuries that have impacted his speed, but he has consistently turned in plus run times when healthy.

Best Defensive Player: Wetherholt (1) played all over the infield in his time with West Virginia, and he impressed scouts in his first season focused on shortstop this spring. He has the actions and arm to be solid-average at shortstop or third base, but he might be an above-average defender at second base if he slides to the other side of the infield.

Best Fastball: Righthander Andrew Dutkanych (7) has a fastball that will sit around 94 mph and get up to 97 with solid riding life that has earned 70-grade evaluations in the past, but he has missed time with injuries and will need to improve his command to make the most of it.

Best Secondary Pitch: Righthander Brian Holiday (3) has great confidence and feel for all three of his secondaries. A low-80s slider was his most consistent swing-and-miss pitch last spring with Oklahoma State. He used the pitch to generate a 44% miss rate and also lands it in the zone for strikes at a tremendous rate.

Best Pro Debut: Wetherholt (1) made a seamless transition to pro ball in 29 games with Low-A Palm Beach where he slashed .295/.405/.400 with more walks than strikeouts and reliable defensive work at shortstop.

Best Athlete: The combination of Wetherholt’s (1) baseball skills and athleticism made him one of the most compelling players in the 2024 draft class, and a potential steal for the Cardinals with the seventh pick. He can run, he has surprising power for his size and should be able to impact the game in many ways. 

Most Intriguing Background: Righthander Nolan Sparks (13) graduated as his class valedictorian from Cherokee Trail High in Colorado and finished his career at Rochester as the program’s all-time leader with 248 strikeouts. In 38 starts and 209 innings, Sparks owns a career 3.06 ERA and also had a strong debut as a reliever in pro ball, where he posted a 2.35 ERA in 15.1 innings with Low-A Palm Beach. 

Closest To The Majors: As one of the elite college hitters in the class, Wetherholt (1) is a favorite to be a fast-mover through the minors—with the caveat that he’ll need to stay healthy to do so. If recurring hamstring injuries don’t continue to plague him, he should be more than advanced enough as a hitter to quickly move up the ladder. 

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): The Cardinals are excited about the early returns of each of Petrutz (12), Sparks (13) and lefthander Michael Watson (NDFA) who posted a 1.13 ERA over 16 innings with Double-A Kansas City. Watson transferred to Sam Houston State last spring after three seasons with NAIA Southwestern Assemblies of God University, where he posted a 3.50 ERA over 13 starts and 75 innings. Watson is a low-slot lefty who averaged 90 mph with his fastball in his debut but features a flat approach angle and extremely low release height with the pitch.