West Virginia Professional Athletes

Two Mountaineers. One infield. The best defensive middle in baseball.

As the 2026 MLB season winds down, West Virginia alumni JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott II are closing out the year as teammates on a St. Louis Cardinals squad that, despite its rebuild status, has carved out a legitimate claim to history — and not the bad kind.

The Defensive Outlier Story

Wetherholt (2B) and Masyn Winn (SS) have formed what Sports Illustrated calls the best defensive middle infield in baseball, "by a wide margin." That's a remarkable distinction for a Cardinals team still working through a rebuild cycle that began after a 78-84 finish in 2025. While Winn gets the shortstop headlines, Wetherholt has been a cornerstone of that unit, drawing serious attention as one of St. Louis's most important long-term pieces.

Scott II, manning center field, adds a third West Virginia product to a Cardinals outfield that has quietly become one of the more athletically interesting groups in the NL. His 2026 slash line has been a work in progress — he carried a .193 average into the final week — but his defensive presence and speed profile have kept him in the lineup.

Wetherholt's Week

Wetherholt put together a solid final stretch heading into the season's last weekend. On Wednesday, September 23, he went 3-for-something in a 5-1 Cardinals win over Pittsburgh, driving in a run, scoring one, and drawing a walk — his most productive game of the week. He followed with two hits Thursday against the Pirates, keeping his average at .246 before a quieter final series against Milwaukee. He closed the week batting .242, a respectable number for a rookie-adjacent player taking on everyday second base duties during a transitional season.

Per Sports Illustrated's Cardinals notes, Wetherholt's development has become one of the more closely watched storylines of the St. Louis rebuild, alongside outfielder Alec Burleson and infielder Jordan Walker. The front office heads into the offseason with growing confidence that Wetherholt is a foundational piece — not a bridge player.

Scott II's Closing Act

Scott II's week was quieter offensively. He recorded a hit in Friday's 4-8 loss to Milwaukee and was held hitless in the series opener Saturday against Milwaukee. His season average sat at .193 entering the final days. But raw batting average undersells what Scott brings — his profile has always been built around speed and defense, making him an interesting complementary piece as the Cardinals determine what their outfield core looks like beyond 2026.

The Bigger Picture

It's worth stepping back: West Virginia produced two contributors to what is statistically the most efficient defensive middle infield in MLB this season. That's not a footnote — it's a recruiting and development story that the Mountaineers program will be citing for years. Whether the Cardinals' rebuild accelerates into contention in 2027 will depend heavily on whether Wetherholt's defensive excellence translates into offensive growth, and whether Scott II can find more consistency at the plate to match his athleticism.

Three games left in 2026. Two Mountaineers. One very good infield.

Two West Virginia alumni are sharing the same outfield — and infield — dirt in St. Louis as the Cardinals squeeze every last win out of a tense September.

Wetherholt Returns, ROY Race Reignites

JJ Wetherholt's name never really left the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. His wrist did, though. The Cardinals activated the rookie second baseman off the 10-day injured list Wednesday, September 17, ending a stint that dated back to August 30 when right wrist tendinitis shut him down. To clear roster space, St. Louis designated veteran infielder Ramón Urías for assignment — a pointed signal of where the organization's priorities lie. Urías was subsequently released outright.

Wetherholt wasted little time reminding everyone why this move mattered. He recorded a hit in St. Louis' Wednesday matchup with San Francisco and was slashing .242 by the time the Cardinals hosted Washington over the weekend, contributing a hit and an RBI in a 5-8 loss on September 19. His defense may be the quieter story: The Sporting News flagged Wetherholt as a legitimate Gold Glove Award candidate, arguing his work at second base is even stronger than the surface numbers suggest.

On the Rookie of the Year front, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports both framed his return as a genuine threat to Reds slugger Sal Stewart, who currently holds the lead in most projections. The Cardinals had less than two weeks of regular season remaining upon Wetherholt's activation, making every plate appearance a referendum. His window is narrow — but it's open.

Victor Scott II Holds Down Center

While Wetherholt grabbed the headlines, fellow Mountaineer Victor Scott II has been a steady presence in center field for St. Louis throughout the week. Scott II appeared in every game covered by this period, batting .194–.196 as the Cardinals navigated a series split with the Giants and a rough weekend against Washington. The batting average reflects a tough stretch, but Scott II's speed and defense in center have kept him in the lineup.

The two WVU products lining up together in a Cardinals uniform during a meaningful September is a notable footnote to an already compelling Cardinals story. St. Louis used Wetherholt's absence as a crucible, and his return gives the club a different look heading into the final days of the season.

Grove Moves On

Away from St. Louis, WVU pitcher Michael Grove had a transaction of his own this week. The Braves claimed Grove off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on September 15, optioning him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Grove won a World Series ring with the Dodgers before landing in Tampa Bay, and Atlanta's claim keeps his 2026 season alive, at least at the minor-league level.

The bigger WVU story, though, belongs to Wetherholt. A Rookie of the Year award for a Mountaineer would be the program's most prominent MLB individual honor in recent memory — and with less than two weeks left to make the case, the clock is very much ticking.