JJ Wetherholt accomplishes Cardinals feat not seen from a rookie in 20 years

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to get contributions from all over their roster, but no player has generated more excitement this season than rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt. On Sunday, the 23-year-old added another memorable moment to his growing highlight reel.

Wetherholt launched two home runs in the first two innings against the Kansas City Royals, becoming the first Cardinals rookie in 20 years to accomplish a feat that has rarely been seen in franchise history. The performance was yet another reminder of why Wetherholt has quickly become one of the frontrunners for the National League Rookie of the Year Award and one of the most important players on a Cardinals team fighting for a return to the postseason.

Historic start puts Wetherholt in elite company

The fireworks started immediately. Leading off the game, Wetherholt crushed a home run to right-center field, giving St. Louis an early spark. He wasn't finished. After the Cardinals exploded for five runs in the first inning, Wetherholt came back to the plate in the second and sent another ball over the wall, this time to left field for his second homer of the afternoon.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Wetherholt became just the 12th player in Cardinals history to hit two home runs through the first two innings of a game. More notably, he became only the second rookie in franchise history to accomplish the feat. The only other Cardinals rookie to do it was Chris Duncan on Sept. 15, 2006.

The last St. Louis player to homer twice through the first two innings was Paul Goldschmidt on June 14, 2022. For Wetherholt, it was another accomplishment that places him alongside some notable names in Cardinals history.

Rookie of the Year case continues to grow

The historic game was simply the latest chapter in what has been an outstanding debut season. Entering Sunday, Wetherholt owned a .270 batting average, a .373 on-base percentage and an .804 OPS while providing power, speed and consistency near the top of the Cardinals lineup.

His recent stretch has been particularly impressive. Over his previous seven games, Wetherholt had hit .429 with three home runs and a 1.286 OPS, emerging as one of the hottest hitters in baseball. The former top prospect has looked increasingly comfortable against major league pitching, and his ability to impact games in multiple ways has made him indispensable for manager Oliver Marmol's club.

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Cardinals finding their next star

St. Louis entered the season hoping its next wave of young talent would help push the franchise back into contention. Wetherholt has done much more than that. The rookie has become a major figure in the Cardinals' resurgence, helping fuel an offense that has carried the club through stretches where the pitching staff has battled inconsistency.

With the Cardinals firmly in the National League playoff race, Wetherholt's emergence couldn't have come at a better time. And if Sunday's performance showed anything, it's that the rookie isn't intimidated by the spotlight. Twenty years after Chris Duncan made Cardinals history, Wetherholt has joined him in the record books. Given the way his rookie season is unfolding, it may not be the last time he does something that hasn't been seen in St. Louis for a very long time.

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