The dream of wearing the Taegeuk mark for 'super top prospect' JJ Weatherholt (23, St. Louis Cardinals), who is set to debut in the major leagues this year, has been dashed. He did not meet the eligibility requirements for the South Korean national team.
At the Cardinals' winter warm-up event at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 19th (Korean time), Weatherholt met with reporters and was asked whether he would play for the Korea national team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
He said, "Unfortunately, I am not sufficiently eligible to become Korean. To become a Korean player, one of your parents must have Korean nationality, but only my grandmother does," and jokingly expressed regret, saying, "My father will have to go through the procedures to obtain Korean nationality."
He added, "Becoming part of the Korea national team was a dream. I wanted to play for my elderly grandmother. I thought it would mean a lot to her, but unfortunately I can't do that," noting that Weatherholt's grandmother was Korean and moved to the United States after marrying a U.S. service member stationed in Korea.
The WBC currently allows players to represent a country regardless of current nationality based on parental lineage or place of birth. In the inaugural 2006 tournament, selection based on grandparent lineage was also allowed, but it was abolished from the next tournament onward.
Ahead of the 2023 WBC, Japan considered selecting top major league outfielders Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers) and Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), but both were third-generation Japanese Americans and did not meet the criteria, so the selections fell through.
Weatherholt has no major league experience yet but is a highly touted future top prospect. A left-handed batter and right-handed thrower who graduated from West Virginia University, Weatherholt was selected by St. Louis with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft and signed for a bonus of $6.8 million.
He started last year in Double-A and was promoted to Triple-A in August. In 47 games he hit .314 (185 at-bats, 58 hits) with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs, nine stolen bases and a .978 OPS, exploding in development and being named St. Louis minor league player of the year. Ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 on the team in MLB Pipeline's prospect rankings, Weatherholt is evaluated as having the complete package of hitting, fielding and baserunning based on high contact rates and excellent plate discipline. He covers all infield positions with a focus on shortstop.
Rebuilding St. Louis completed the configuration to develop Weatherholt as their starting third baseman by trading starting third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In a survey of club officials by MLB.com on the 7th, Weatherholt was chosen as the top National League (NL) rookie candidate with 30.2% of the vote.
St. Louis' starting shortstop Masyn Winn said, "I've heard from Triple-A teammates that he really hits well. There are almost no people who don't know about Weatherholt in terms of his offense. With his explosive power he will ignite our team," expressing expectation.
St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said, "He's a player who can perform excellently at any position. He has a calm confidence rarely seen in young players. He's special, quite exceptional. I'm looking forward to seeing him every day," hinting at a starting role.
Weatherholt said, "Last year was a time to gain experience and learn; this year my goal is to make a major league team. Everything will look different if I play here," and added, "This is my second time at Busch Stadium. It's a beautiful place. Now I don't want to play in minor league parks anymore," expressing his determination to establish himself as a major leaguer.
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