Who is J.J. Wetherholt? All you need to know about college baseball sensation who could be No.1 pick of 2024 MLB Draft

The college baseball game is home to J.J. Wetherholt, a strong contender to be the first overall pick in the MLB Draft this year. He's a talented baseball player and he is even more proof of the growing trend of top prospects coming from the NCAA and not high school. There are some of both, but college has certainly been making a name for itself recently.

J.J. Wetherholt could be the next example of this, as the West Virginia superstar has been tearing it up and projects extremely well for the future. Here's what you need to know about a potential future star.

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Who is J.J. Wetherholt? Our guide to college superstar

J.J. Wetherholt is a 5'11" 180-pound middle infielder. He plays both second base and shortstop for the Mountaineers of West Virginia. He hits left-handed and throws right-handed, making him a pretty desirable makeup.

The official MLB Pipeline Scouting Report lauds Wetherholt as the best pure hitter in the entire draft class and says:

"There are some area scouts who think he’s the best amateur bat they’ve ever seen. The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and should have at least average power at the next level."

The ability to hit well for a middle infielder is key. Most shortstops are defense first, so finding one that can hit for average and power is a rare find, and teams will likely be looking at Wetherholt as that.

J.J. Wetherholt plays for West Virginia

The scouting report also noted that he's a plus base runner who is a big threat to steal. That's just another tool to separate him from the rest of his class. New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has a similar frame and skillset and had a 20-20 (home runs and stolen bases) in his first year, so big things could be in store for Wetherholt.

The college game continues to be a top prospect breeding ground. Last season, the top two selections were college players with experience. The Pittsburgh Pirates took Paul Skenes and the Washington Nationals followed with Dylan Crews before a high schooler went.