Height | 5’10 |
Weight | 190 |
DOB | 09/10/2002 |
Offensive Notes:
Frame | Short, medium build with limited projection for future, quick-twitch oriented operation. |
Stance | Open, upright setup. Loose with rhythm present pre-pitch. |
Hands/Path | Medium hand load, bat at 45-degrees during load and into launch position. High slot-entry. Path has natural loft to it while staying in the zone for an extended period of time. Shows adjustability to handle most quadrants of the zone. Above average bat speed through the zone. |
Lower Half | Leg kick trigger to square position, average length stride, stride foot lands at 45-degrees upon foot strike. Efficient in transitioning from linear to rotational phase of swing. |
Approach/Comments | Easy plus pure bat-to-ball skills with an all-fields oriented approach. Advanced feel to hit overall and a well-rounded offensive profile. |
Defensive Notes:
Wetherholt DH’d all three games in my recent in-person look during his return to the West Virginia lineup this past weekend against Kansas. He did workout defensively before each game, which between that and speaking with multiple National Crosscheckers and Area Scouts, is what makes up my defensive grades/notes on him.
Wetherholt spent almost all of his freshman season playing 3B for the Moutaineers and last season, he held down 2B. Prior to his hamstring injury this year which has taken most of his season away from him, he was set to be their everyday SS. It’s nearly a unanimous consensus among the evaluators I’ve spoken to that he’ll be playing 2B once his professional career begins. This is largely due to the fact that Wetherford has a 50 arm at best, which isn’t typically conducive to handling the SS position unless that’s also accompanied by an elite level release.
Summation:
Wetherholt’s premium bat-to-ball ability, feel for spraying hits to all parts of the diamond, and above average bat speed project to a future plus-plus hit tool, to go along with what I feel will be 50 game power in future years. While he may not be tallying 30 pumps a season, I see him being an annual 20-25 HR bat along with racking up a significant amount of doubles. I have Wetherholt projected to slide back over to 2B in the pro ranks where he profiles to be an above-average defender.
