Ranking the 10 most important St. Louis Cardinals players for the 2025 season

6 - Brendan Donovan (Utility)

Since debuting in 2022, Brendan Donovan has been in a class of his own among utility players in baseball. No player in baseball has been nearly as productive as Donovan at the plate while playing as many positions as he has.

Donovan’s versatility is a major asset to the Cardinals, as they can place him anywhere on the infield and in the corner outfield spots and know they’ll get production offensively as well. Expect to see Donovan all over the field for the Cardinals once again in 2025.

Donovan wasn’t quite himself at the plate last year, as although he added some power to his game, his on-base percentage took a significant step back. What has made Donovan so special since entering the league is his ability to get on base at a high level, ranking top 15 in OBP since his debut. If he can get back to career norms with his on-base skills while still tapping into that power, Donovan will be a force at the plate.

We saw that version of Donovan during the summer of 2023 before he was placed on the IL with season-ending elbow surgery. During that 53-game stretch, Donovan posted a .398 OBP and .485 SLG, resulting in a 144 wRC+. Donovan has what it takes to be one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball; he’ll just have to show it once again in 2025.

Donovan’s importance goes even deeper when you take into account the leadership role he’s taken with the Cardinals. Players will be looking to Donovan this year, and his voice will be a key part of helping the club surprise people this year.

Check out this interview we did with Donovan on Dealin' the Cards this week! He's an awesome dude.

5 - Ivan Herrera (C)

With Willson Contreras moving to first base full time, Ivan Herrera should get every opportunity to prove himself this season as the catcher of the future. Offensively, Herrera has the potential to be one of the best catchers in all of baseball. He only played 72 games last season, but he slashed .301/.372/.428 for a 127 wRC+ and was second on the team in most offensive rate categories, trailing only Willson Contreras.

However, his defense behind the plate will be the real limiting factor. He was just 14th percentile in caught stealing, and the pitching staff seemed to prefer throwing to Pedro Pages much more. If Herrera can strengthen his arm, he should draw many more starts behind the dish and add another true threat to the heart of the Cardinals lineup.

Though he received the least playing time of all the young bats in 2024, Herrera may be the most complete hitter of the group currently. With more consistent reps, Herrera will lengthen the Cardinals lineup with another solid bat that still has some untapped power potential.