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St. Louis Cardinals slumped to last place in the American League Central standings, winning only 71 games last season. It was the opposite of the Cardinals' previous campaign where they secured the AL Central title and a postseason slot.
If there is one thing that St. Louis enjoys on the 2023 misstep, it is that it secured the No. 7 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Various mock drafts from MLB experts have different views on who manager Oliver Marmol will select for the annual event.
However, two names figure prominently as the best player available for the Cardinals. They are Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz and West Virginia dual-position player JJ Wetherholt. So who is a better fit for the Cardinals?
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Nick Kurtz and JJ Wetherholt: Who is a better fit for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2024 MLB draft?
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Nick Kurtz had a great three-season stretch for the Demon Deacons, hitting .333 with 61 home runs and 182 RBIs.
Kurtz was also great in decision-making, as he can't get easily tricked at the plate. He was the team's all-time leader in walks (189) and recorded the most walks by a Wake Forest player in a season with 78. He finished with 65 runs last season and recorded an on-base percentage of .531 and a slugging rate of .763.
The Cardinals need a hard-hitting first baseman who can induce more walks than strikeouts, smack timely hits, and replace infielder Paul Goldschmidt. The Wake Forest standout is also excellent on defense, as he only had seven errors during his three-year stint. He had 1,192 putouts and 65 assists for a fielding percentage of .994.
JJ Wetherholt, 2B/SS, West Virginia Mountaineers
JJ Wetherholt played three seasons for West Virginia, totaling 145 games. Wetherholt hit .370 in 557 at-bats and smacked 29 home runs and 129 RBIs.
His on-base percentage was .467, and his slugging rate was .625. The infielder had a fielding percentage of .955 after recording 187 putouts and 278 assists in his three seasons with West Virginia.
He has the same number of strikeouts and walks with 82 each. If picked by the Cardinals, Wetherholt may likely share the load with Masyn Wynn and Brandon Crawford at shortstop or Nolan Gorman in second base.
Who should the St. Louis Cardinals pick?
Nick Kurtz is a big-hitting infielder who can provide the needed home runs for the Cardinals. He might get a faster call-up time, as Paul Goldschmidt is 37 years old already. Kurtz is a good defender in first base as he rarely commits errors.
As for JJ Wetherholt, the shortstop and second baseman spot for St. Louis has been manned by Wynn and Gorman, respectively. He may get called up later as he will spend a few years in the minor league to develop his fielding and hitting skills.
Experts see Wetherholt as an all-around player who fits the bill of the Cardinals. However, it's a rare opportunity for the team to acquire a power-hitting prospect in Kurtz. The draft is just a day away, and it's up to the teams to decide who among the two players would fit their roster in the future.
Who will the St. Louis Cardinals pick in the first round of the MLB draft? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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