"My grandmother is Korean... I wanted to play for the national team" — Third-generation Korean American who never got to wear the Taegukgi, signs blockbuster $151.2 billion contract and rises to third place in MLB Rookie of the Year voting

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Third-generation Korean American J.J. Wetherholt (24, St. Louis Cardinals) left a powerful impression from his first season in the major leagues. Although he was unable to fulfill his dream of wearing the Taegukgi, he rose as high as third place in the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year voting in his debut year in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The official MLB website, MLB.com, released on the 10th (Korean time) the results of the 2026 Rookie of the Year voting for both leagues, selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

In the NL, Sal Stewart (23) of the Cincinnati Reds won the award with a total of 170 points, including 20 first-place votes. Carson Benge (23), an outfielder for the New York Mets, finished second with seven first-place votes and a total of 107 points, followed by Wetherholt. Wetherholt received three first-place votes, 12 second-place votes, six third-place votes, five fourth-place votes, and two fifth-place votes, totaling 99 points. The gap between him and second-place Benge was just eight points.

Based on his statistics alone, he was fully qualified as a Rookie of the Year candidate. Wetherholt recorded a .242 batting average (130 hits in 537 at-bats), 17 home runs, 51 RBIs, 89 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 139 regular season games this year. He also posted an on-base percentage of .339, a slugging percentage of .365, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .704.

He received particularly overwhelming praise for his defense. According to MLB.com, Wetherholt's FRV (Fielding Run Value) was +23, ranking first among all second basemen in the major leagues and second across all positions.

His OAA (Outs Above Average, a defensive metric indicating how many outs a player records above the league average) was also +25, placing him first among second basemen and second overall in the major leagues. His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) based on FanGraphs was 4.6, the highest among NL rookie position players.

In an interview with MLB.com, Wetherholt said, "I have never thought of myself as a player with incredible tools. So I felt that I had to do well in every aspect of the game." Indeed, he was evaluated as a type who possessed all-around skills in precise hitting, baserunning, defense, and plate discipline, rather than flashy power.

His growth rate was also rapid. Wetherholt was considered a top prospect even during his time at West Virginia University. As a sophomore in 2023, he recorded a .449 batting average, 16 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 36 stolen bases, winning the NCAA Division I batting championship and being named Big 12 Player of the Year. His career college statistics were a .370 batting average, 29 home runs, and 129 RBIs over three years.

In the 2024 draft, he was selected by St. Louis in the first round with the seventh overall pick. He was the highest-pick hitter chosen by the team since J.D. Drew in 1998.

His promotion speed was also fast in the pros. After playing 29 games in Single-A in 2024, he moved between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, recording a .306 batting average, 17 home runs, 59 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, and an OPS of .931 in 109 games. He was named the St. Louis organization's Minor League Player of the Year and rose to fifth place among all prospects in the MLB Pipeline.

And this year, he passed through spring camp competition to join the opening roster. This meant he reached the major leagues after just 138 minor league games in his career. His first-half performance was even more intense. In July last month, St. Louis signed a long-term contract with Wetherholt worth $112.5 million (approximately 151.2 billion won) over eight years, extending through 2034.

However, in the second half, tendinitis in his right wrist held him back. He appeared in only 49 games after the All-Star break, and his OPS dropped from .755 in the first half to .608 in the second half. This was one of the decisive reasons he fell behind Stewart and Benge in the Rookie of the Year race.

There is an even more special reason for Korean baseball fans. Wetherholt's maternal grandmother was born in Korea. After marrying his grandfather, who served in the U.S. military stationed in Korea, she immigrated to the United States. Wetherholt had previously expressed his desire to play for the Korean national team ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

According to Sporting News in the U.S., Wetherholt told reporters at the time, "Playing for Korea was my dream. My grandmother is getting older, so I really wanted to play for Korea. I thought that playing for the Korean national team would mean a lot to her."

Under current WBC rules, eligibility is not granted based solely on grandparents' nationality, so his dream remained unfulfilled. However, he had a successful year, being recognized for his skills with a mega-contract and a top-three finish in the Rookie of the Year race from his debut season.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original