Since making his major league debut this season, rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt has completely revitalized the St. Louis Cardinals.
In his first major league game, Wetherholt blasted a home run and instantly made his presence known. Now, more than two months later, he continues to build his resume and earn the respect of baseball's top experts.
In MLB.com's latest Rookie of the Year poll, Wetherholt sits in first place in the National League. The poll consists of 32 MLB.com experts who evaluate rookie performance while also projecting how players will fare over the remainder of the season.
Wetherholt received 13 first-place votes and 120 total points, narrowly edging out Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart. Stewart received eight first-place votes and 112 total points.
Behind the two National League Central standouts were Nolan McLean of the New York Mets with 94 points, injured rookie Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates with 70 points, and surging Mets outfielder Carson Benge with 42 points.
Wetherholt enters Tuesday slashing .246/.358/.395 with a .753 OPS, nine home runs, 40 runs scored, 31 RBI, and seven stolen bases. He has also accumulated 2.2 fWAR, which not only leads all National League rookies but ranks 18th among all players in baseball.
Stewart's traditional numbers are slightly better. He is hitting .254/.348/.455 with an .803 OPS and 12 home runs, the most among rookies. However, Stewart has accumulated just 1.3 fWAR this season.
The other key factor in the poll is rest-of-season projections. Voters are not simply evaluating current production. They are also projecting which players will perform best over the final four months.
Wetherholt appears to be trending in the right direction. Over his last 15 games, the 23-year-old is batting .271 with 16 hits, one home run, and seven runs scored.
Meanwhile, Stewart has cooled off. The 22-year-old is hitting .218 with six RBI and four runs scored over his last 15 games.
Of course, with so much season remaining, the race may not come down to these two players.
Benge has emerged as a legitimate contender after a slow start. The New York Mets rookie is hitting .323 with 40 hits, four home runs, and 18 RBI over his last 30 games.
Before suffering his injury, Griffin looked poised to post monster numbers. The dynamic rookie impacts the game with his bat, power, speed, and defense.
Then there is McLean. The Mets rookie possesses some of the nastiest stuff in baseball and has started to regain his form after a rough stretch.
This rookie class continues to impress and is shaping up to be one of baseball's deepest in recent memory.
