St. Louis Cardinals were right to trust Nolan Gorman, other young bats

Brendan Donovan

Perhaps the most impressive rookie of the bunch, Brendan Donovan was more of an afterthought than an expected contributor for the 2022 Cardinals.

The Cardinals new super utility player has logged games in the corner outfield spots as well as the middle and corner outfield spots, playing great defense while producing consistently at the plate. While Cardinal fans have been clamoring for Gorman’s debut so he can make as strong case for Rookie of the Year, it appears Donovan may be the Cardinals best chance at the award.

For Donovan to come into a contending team like St. Louis and practically force manager Oli Marmol to play him everyday with his current play says a lot about the rookie. With injuries striking the club, having a guy like Donovan that can slot into almost any position gives St. Louis an elite safety net option. Not to mention, he’s got that Cardinal clutch gene in his system.

Upon the return of Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson, we should expect to see them slotted back into the lineup as everyday players, at least until they have been given a lot enough run to say otherwise. What does that mean for Donovan though? Expect the rookie to still find at bats almost every day, slotting in the lineup all over the place to give off says to the other regulars or even finding himself at DH. Donovan may not have an everyday “starting spot” defensively, but with how he is playing, he will find himself in the lineup most days.