Ranking the Cardinals' 10 most important young players for their future

#7 - Brendan Donovan

The breakout player of 2022 was easily Brendan Donovan. After being a relatively unknown prospect, he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, won the utility Gold Glove, and became a player that the Cardinals were unwilling to part with this offseason.

Every team needs a utilityman, but finding one as good as Donovan is rare. Donovan can play almost every position on the field, and do so really well. He's a great on base guy and has flashed some new found power, although that has tapered off some recently.

If the Cardinals truly want to contend for a World Series in the next few years, having someone like Donovan gives them a huge edge. On any given day, they can plug him in wherever they need and expect a very good performance from him. It's had to overstate how valuable Donovan can be to this club.