Cardinals rookie Brendan Donovan showing shades of young Matt Carpenter
![SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Brendan Donovan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals scores against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the ninth inning at Oracle Park on May 06, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fredbirdrants-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2022-2F05-2F1395937492-850x560-715d793a5f679f39dc79c3d58e9920db.jpg)
Brendan Donovan is showing shades of a former, beloved Cardinal
The St. Louis Cardinals are known for their ability to develop talent, especially when it comes to guys who would not be considered household names. Each season, new players who national media has no awareness of tend to make an impact in St. Louis. Brendan Donovan is the latest example of this.
Donovan’s call up was under the radar at the time, but the 25-year-old has been a huge part of the Cardinals success this year. As the season has gone on, has shown shades of a former Cardinal — Matt Carpenter. Cardinals Stats and Facts on Twitter gave a great side by side comparison of the two and their rookie seasons with St. Louis.
Brendan Donovan vs Matt Carpenter rookie seasons:
— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@STL_Stats_Facts) August 30, 2022
Donovan (2022):
348 PAs, .297 AVG, 128 OPS+
12.1 BB%, 6 positions played
Carpenter (2012):
340 PAs, .294 AVG, 125 OPS+
10.0 BB%, 5 positions played
Donovan has reminded me a little bit of rookie Carp.
The similarities go even further than the the stats presented here. Carpenter played his first full season for St. Louis at age 26 (Donovan at age 25) and the players were ranked ranked the club’s 11th and 12th ranked prospects, respectively. Neither player was known for their defensive abilities but both provided the versatility to play a variety of positions.
It would be unfair to project Donovan to develop the same kind of power that Carpenter found later in his career, but the way Donovan approaches the game right now, he could be the early career version of Carpenter that fans fell in love with for years to come.
Having this kind of player on your roster is a huge advantage for any contending team. Donovan is a terrific option for the top of the lineup, and can slot in there at six different positions, depending on whatever lineup Marmol wants to roll out that day. The Cardinals know that any time Donovan steps up to the plate, he is going to provide great at-bats and look to make winnings plays.
Next. How St. Louis should structure their lineup. dark
While there are more exciting players in the Cardinals pipeline, don’t be surprised if Donovan is one of the young guys who sticks with St. Louis the longest. The club values gamers like Donovan, and with the way he has played in 2022, he has earned the respect of the front office and fans alike.