Breakout Cardinals and prospects from the 2022 season

Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages
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Brendan Donovan

Upon being called up in late April, Brendan Donovan was far from a household name among Cardinals Nation. But he changed that very perception very quickly and is now a guy that both St. Louis and teams around baseball covet highly.

Donovan had himself quite the rookie season, slashing .281/.394/.379 with 5 HR and 45 RBI, winning the first-ever utility Gold Glove, and finishing 3rd in National League Rookie of the Year voting. The 25-year-old could not have had himself a better year in the eyes of St. Louis.

For a club that had middle infield questions entering the season, many expected Nolan Gorman to eventually cement himself as the Cardinals everyday second baseman and push Tommy Edman over to shortstop. Instead, it was Donovan who could not be removed from the lineup each day and now projects to be the Cardinals second baseman in 2023.

Donovan ability to get on base an an elite clip and play at multiple positions makes him a very valuable piece for the Cardinals moving forward. The club can move Donvoan around the diamond each day depending on their needs, and still maintain a steady presence at the top of their lineup and above-average defense at multiple positions.