5 Cardinals who could become first-time All-Stars in 2025

UTIL Brendan Donovan

When Major League Baseball instituted the Utility Gold Glove, it was clear that Brendan Donovan would be one of the top candidates each year. He ended up winning the award in its inaugural season and finishing in the top three in 2024.

Cardinal fans are quite familiar with Brendan Donovan's game. He's not flashy, he's not loud, but he's a fantastic team player. He's become a leader for the Cardinals these last two years, and players on the team have been outspoken about his necessity on the roster. Donovan is a true cornerstone for the Cardinals, and being voted to represent the Cardinals in the 2025 All-Star Game would go a long way toward giving him the recognition he deserves.

What's unfortunate is that there isn't a "utility" position on All-Star rosters. If there were such a nomination, Brendan Donovan would be a perennial occupant of this spot. Donovan has played 14 games at second base for the Cardinals this year, far and away his most frequent position thus far. He's been able to accumulate 0.8 fWAR in those 14 games, second in the National League.

Donovan is slashing .382/.411/.559 for a 175 OPS+ through the team's first 17 games. He leads Major League Baseball in hits (26) and batting average. He's currently riding a league-best 11-game hitting streak.

Donovan has strong name recognition throughout the country, too. Yankee fans have been clamoring for his services for years now, and his hit streak has only furthered his reach throughout the league.

If Donovan continues to operate at a level even 80% as strong as this through the early summer months, it would be malpractice to not elect the Cardinals' utility man to his first All-Star Game.