FRONT-RUNNER: JJ Wetherholt PROPELS the St. Louis Cardinals, Leads NL Rookie of the Year Chase!

St. Louis Cardinals surge as rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt ignites Rookie of the Year buzz and defies expectations with standout performances on both sides of the ball. Wetherholt’s impressive stats—including a team-leading on-base percentage and smooth transition from shortstop to second base—fuel conversations about his place among Cardinals all-time great rookies alongside legends like Albert Pujols and Rogers Hornsby. Can Wetherholt become the catalyst the Cardinals need for a playoff push? JD Hafron breaks down Wetherholt’s impact, early trade chatter involving JoJo Romero and Dustin May, and how the club’s rebuild strategy could shape the rest of 2026. The discussion explores Oli Marmol’s Manager of the Year candidacy, the Cardinals’ surprise success, and key Midwest League performances from prospects Tre Richardson and Won Bin Cho. The episode also touches on division rivals’ struggles, the wild Brewers–A’s slugfest, and a frightening plane crash narrowly avoided by Yadier Molina. 00:00 JJ Wetherholt Rookie Surge 08:39 Cardinals Trade Deadline Talk 22:46 Molina Plane Crash & Notes Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-st-louis-cardinals/ Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/ Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonstlcardinals.supercast.com/ Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Cash App Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/2ut33jnc #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa®️ Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. 5-Hour ENERGY Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots—available online now at https://5hourENERGY.com or on Amazon. HIMS To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more, visit https://Hims.comLOCKEDONMLB Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at https://Indeed.com/podcast KALSHI For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code LOCKEDON to get ten dollars when you trade ten. Kalshi. Trade on anything. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #ForTheLou #stlcards #mlb #lockedoncardinals #stlouiscardinals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.