MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For West Virginia's JJ Wetherholt, the waiting is almost over. 
 
Now it's just a matter of finding out which team is going to use its first-round pick on him in this year's Major League Draft taking place Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
 
Last year's NCAA batting champion is considered one of the best pure hitters in the top portion of a draft class that is regarded as hitter heavy.
 
Wetherholt's offensive production as a sophomore in 2023 ranks among the best college seasons in recent years. The Mars, Pennsylvania, resident batted .449 with 16 home runs and 42 extra base hits, while driving in 60 runs and stealing 36 bases.
 
With his profile raised considerably, including a Team USA berth last summer, Wetherholt entered the 2024 college season rated the top overall prospect in this year's draft.
 
A hamstring injury that required him to miss the entire month of March was a temporary setback, but he returned in April to finish the year strong with a .331 batting average while leading his team to its first Super Regional appearance in school history.
 
Now, on the eve of the draft, with his hamstring completely healed, interest in Wetherholt has once again soared.
 
FanDuel's current odds rate him a +130 to go No. 1 overall, second only to Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana who is rated +105.
 
FanDeul has Georgia third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon rated +700, while Florida first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone is +1500, which means the bettors think it's going to be a two-horse race come early Sunday evening.
 
And it's wise not to bet against Wetherholt.
 
"There are a lot of good arms and a lot of good bats, just a bunch of good players, and that's pretty consistent from year to year," JJ said earlier this week. "People who are getting drafted are good, so there is talent everywhere. It's a great class, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
 
Wherever Wetherholt ends up landing in the first round, it will be a first for the West Virginia University baseball program in terms of position players.
 
Right-handed pitchers Chris Enochs (1997) and Alek Manoah (2019) are the program's only first rounders, each taken No. 11.
 
Among everyday players, outfielder Darrell Whitmore was the 46^th overall pick by the Cleveland Indians in 1990 and in 2010, shortstop Jedd Gyorko was a sandwich selection by the San Diego Padres at No. 59 overall.
 
Wetherholt could end up having links to both players. 
 
Also a shortstop, Wetherholt is without question WVU's best hitter since Gyorko, and if he ends up going No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Guardians, that is the same organization that took two-sport star Whitmore 34 years ago.
 
"The program has taken some really cool strides lately, and I'm excited to be a part of it," Wetherholt said. "Hopefully, it's a record that will be broken and continue to be broken."
 
ESPN.com, in its latest mock draft, has JJ going No. 3 to the Colorado Rockies. MLB Network draft analyst Jonathan Mayo slots him No. 4 to the Chicago White Sox.
 
If you were to poll Mountaineer baseball fans, those living below Parkersburg would prefer he land at No. 2 to the Cincinnati Reds, while those living in the northern part of the state wouldn't be disappointed to see him fall to No. 9 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
 
Of course, those nearby Guardians are already on the clock at No. 1.
 
Although not an internal voice, Cleveland Guardians Live analyst and MLB Network Radio host Jensen Lewis calls Wetherholt "a five-tool player with an incredible mental makeup who is perhaps the most intriguing infield prospect in 2024."
 
In a recent interview on the MLB Network set during last month's MLB Combine, Wetherholt handled himself like a pro with the studio hosts.
 
Former Major League manager Buck Showalter asked Wetherholt about the value of playing three years of college baseball.
 
"I wanted to play pro ball," he answered. "Growing up, that was my dream, but I just kind of evaluated myself, and I had to be realistic with myself because I wasn't fully developed, and college was the right move for me. 
 
"I chose West Virginia, and it was a great spot for me. It gave me an opportunity to play as a freshman and kind of building off that confidence and believing in myself and enabling me to have better years and just get better as a player," he added.
 
Wetherholt was also asked to give his thoughts about batting average compared to some of the obscure offensive stats that many organizations seem to value these days and common baseball fans have a difficult time understanding.
 
"Batting average is not the most commonly looked at offensive statistic now," Wetherholt conceded. "People want to be seeing OPS and slugging and that type of stuff."
 
To which Showalter interjected, "It depends on who you ask."
 
"At the end of the day, your batting average is reflective of how good of a hitter you are, and if you can hit, you'll play," Wetherholt said.
 
JJ said he plans on being in Dallas on Sunday with his immediate family. Joining them will be his former college coach Randy Mazey and his son, Weston, as well as current Mountaineer coach Steve Sabins.
 
As for what he will be sporting Sunday, Wetherholt indicated he is not buying a special outfit to wear for the television cameras whenever his name is called.
 
"I'm not buying anything, but I'll have an outfit or something," he laughed.  
 
At this point, where Wetherholt ultimately ends up is out of his hands. He's done everything he can possibly do.
 
"For the most part, yeah," he said. "It's going to come down to who wants me. All the teams will talk and make their decisions on who they want, so it's going to be out of my control. I did what I could, so now I'm just going to hang out and enjoy it."
 
After that, it's a matter of going through the negotiating process and then finding out which minor league city will serve as the launching pad for what is hopefully a long and successful professional baseball career.
 
"That process will vary from team to team, so I'm not too sure about that, but it will be getting familiar with the organization, and they will find a spot where I will go," he concluded.
 
This year's draft gets underway at 5 p.m. EDT and will be televised live on ESPN and MLB Network.