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JJ Wetherholt's case to go first overall in MLB Draft

On Sunday night when the MLB Draft takes place, West Virginia's JJ Wetherholt will hear is name called, it's only a matter of when.

However, for the Mountaineer shortstop, his case to be the first name read is a somewhat compelling one.

In 2023, Wetherholt went from a name WVU fans knew of, to one of the top names in the college baseball world. He hit .449 in 2023, being named Big 12 Player of the Year in the process. The only thing that held him back though was he was a sophomore then, needing to play one more year to become draft-eligible.

Wetherholt now is in the final days before he is a professional, and he brings a compelling case to be the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft when he is in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.

Since 2010, household names such as Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole, Dansby Swanson, Adley Rutschman, and Paul Skenes, have been the top overall picks in the MLB Draft, being catapulted into the baseball spotlight.

Wetherholt could be thrust into the same position come this weekend for more reasons than one.

At 5-foot-10, Wetherholt doesn't bring the size one would normally expect to see from a top pick, but the on-field tools are unquestioned. Wetherholt is a five-tool player, using his athleticism to his advantage. Heading into this season, it was no secret he could hit for power, hit for average, field well, and run fast, but he was able to show off his arm strength from the shortstop position this year.

This season he was limited due to a hamstring injury, cutting his season almost in half. He was still a First Team All-Big 12 selection and hit .331 with eight home runs, and 30 runs batted in. He also held down the shortstop position, making highlight reel plays as WVU went on a run to their first-ever Super Regional.

Wetherholt is one of many college hitters who are in contention to be the first pick this year.

Oregon State's Travis Bazzana and Georgia's Charlie Condon seem to be the other two players in contention to be the top pick.

Bazzana is a similar type of player to Wetherholt, but Wetherholt trumps him on the ability to be more athletic and have speed to his game. Wetherholt has also shown he can play shortstop, although many expect he won't stick there long-term. Condon is a power bat who is seen by some as the best player in this draft.

The key for Wetherholt and the others though won't be what the on-field production look like, it will likely come down to how the money plays out.

See, for Wetherholt, it's unlikely he — or any — of the three names listed will command the $10,570,600 the top pick's slot value for the signing bonus is set in. Add in the Cleveland Guardians — who hold the number one overall pick — also have another pick at No. 36 overall, they will likely try to save a couple bucks by signing someone under slot value.

For Wetherholt that could be a good thing for him if he wants to be the top overall pick.

Wetherholt's folks could tell Cleveland they are willing to sign under slot value and therefore they would be inclined to take him. In addition, some mock drafts have Wetherholt falling out of the top five if he's not taken at one. Say Wetherholt slips to No. 6 overall, the slot value for that pick is $7,213,800.

Say Wetherholt takes a discount and signs somewhere in the range of $9-9.5 million, the Guardians would likely take him and try to save money for their other picks as they are limited to spending $18,334,000.

While one would think it would be how Wetherholt or any of these top prospects perform on the field, in a close race to be first like this, it's likely the discussions off the field that will determine who gets taken first overall.

Wetherholt boasts a true ability to hit the ball to all fields. He's said in the past his goal is to hit the ball to left field, going opposite field for the left-handed hitter. He has proven he can play all over the infield, seeing time at third, second, and shortstop throughout his career. He can hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, and has shown his ability to be a leader.

Wetherholt will hear his name called on Sunday and he certainly has the pedigree to show he's deserving of being taken first overall and adding his name to a legendary list.


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