St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

The boos arrived before JJ Wetherholt ever dug into the batter's box. His response took exactly one pitch. The Cardinals' rookie second baseman turned on a 90.4 mph fastball from Shota Imanaga and launched it the opposite way into the left-field basket at Wrigley Field, silencing a majority of the home crowd before many had even found their seats. Seven innings later, Wetherholt was still doing the little things. Another opposite-field hit. Another mature at-bat. Another defensive decision that won't make the highlight reel but might have saved a big inning. At some point, it stops feeling like a rookie enjoying a hot stretch. It starts feeling like one of the Cardinals' best players. "He just has a really good game plan and sticks to it," manager Oliver Marmol said. "He's steady in every at-bat of the game. Defensively, he's done a tremendous job for us, but offensively we're seeing him continue to take some really good strides." Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Cubs became Wetherholt's latest showcase. The 23-year-old reached base four times, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, a walk and his seventh three-hit game of the season. His leadoff homer -- the fourth of his rookie campaign -- set a Cardinals rookie record, while all three hits came to the opposite field, another reminder that his approach often looks far more experienced than someone playing in just his 82nd Major League game. That approach isn't accidental. "I think a lot of it's just preparation and work that you do pregame," Wetherholt said. "It allows it to come out during the game."