The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the biggest breakout stars in the National League.
Brendan Donovan entered the 2025 season expected to be in a super utility role once again. Donovan has played all over the place for the club over the past few years and has been good at it. Donovan has a Gold Glove award under his belt and has been very solid offensively.
He has taken a massive step this year. Donovan has been the consistently-great bat the Cardinals have need to go along with his Gold Glove Award-caliber defense. In 83 games, Donovan is slashing .296/.367/.430 with seven homers, 32 RBIs, three stolen bases, 22 doubles, and 47 runs scored.
That's some serious production and it has earned him his first-career All-Star nod. The league announced All-Star reserves and pitchers on Sunday and Donovan was the lone representative for the Cardinals.
Donovan's selection is well-earned and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared that he is just the second Cardinals second baseman to land an All-Star nod, joining Matt Carpenter.
"Donovan is only the second Cardinals second baseman chosen for the All-Star Game since 1985, when Tommy Herr represented St. Louis," Goold said. "Albert Pujols played second in an All-Star Game, but the most recent Cardinals second baseman invited to the All-Star Game was Matt Carpenter in 2013.
"Donovan is also the third All-Star who was born in Germany and the first since former Cardinals World Series champion pitcher Edwin Jackson, who went in 2009. If Donovan goes to Atlanta’s Truist Park without a teammate, this will be the third consecutive All-Star Game where the Cardinals have had only one representative."
The Cardinals 28-year-old certainly earned the honor with his play so far this season.
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