Cardinals' Ivan Herrera given promising ranking ahead of pivotal catching season

Ivan Herrera is looking to return to his catching duties in 2026. Thanks to an offseason surgery, Herrera is hoping to become more reliable behind the dish on the defensive side of the game. Herrera had loose bodies removed from his right elbow following the 2025 season. The hope for both him and the St. Louis Cardinals was that he could be a better thrower behind the plate.

"I basically couldn't straighten my elbow, so it's hard to throw that way," Herrera said after his surgery. "We talked to the doctors, and they said that once you lose an angle of 30 (degrees) in your arm, it's hard to throw the ball the right way."

Ivan Herrera's offseason surgery paired with his potent bat make him an enticing player to watch ahead of the 2026 season. Other outlets have an even more positive view on the 25-year-old catcher.

MLB Network has been ranking the top 10 players at every position for about a week now, and they recently disclosed their top-10 catchers heading into the 2026 season. Ivan Herrera happened to make the cut behind the dish.

According to MLB Network's The Shredder, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera is a top-10 backstop in all of baseball.

The Shredder, MLB Network's projection system that uses data from the last three years, ranked Ivan Herrera the tenth-best catcher heading into the 2026 season. This bodes well for the building Cardinals as they enter a new era of baseball.

From an offensive perspective, this ranking is spot on. Herrera finished 2025 with a .284/.373/.464 slash line, 19 home runs, and 66 runs driven in. His 135 wRC+ ranked fifth among all designated hitters with at least 450 plate appearances last year. He's a legitimate, middle-of-the-order hitter, and there's no reason to believe his offense will dip if he does indeed return to catching duties next year.

His offense has grown each year from a .760 OPS in 2023 to a .800 OPS in 2024 and then a .837 OPS in 2025. If he's able to grow at these levels next year, he could be a top-15 hitter in all of baseball next year with the potential to hit 25 home runs.

Ivan Herrera's offensive output has actually been better in games where he also caught. For his career, Herrera has a .834 OPS as a catcher with a .309 batting average. Comparatively, he has a .802 OPS with a .272 batting average when he's been the designated hitter.

There is ample concern still regarding Herrera's defensive abilities. He was below average in arm strength and pop time while being just average at blocking and framing last year, but he's been a plus blocker at various points in his career. If Ivan Herrera wants to remain behind the plate, he needs to become a viable defender, particularly against runners.

Even if Ivan Herrera returns to catching duties in 2026, he'll split time with both Pedro Pages and Jimmy Crooks. Handedness, pitcher familiarity, and riding the hot bat will play pivotal roles for the Cardinals next year.

If Ivan Herrera can catch 60-80 games next year, that frees up designated hitter spots for other players, and it gives manager Oli Marmol more roster flexibility, especially if the Cardinals sign a right-handed hitter to complete the roster.