Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) celebrates with first baseman Alec Burleson (41) after hitting a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Slugger Already Emerging as Next Breakout Star

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 12:02 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding right now, so they're headed for a different kind of season than fans are used to. Rather than being excited about winning games and putting a contender on the field, fans will need to adjust their thinking and look forward to the future.

With top prospects like JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle knocking on the door of the big leagues, it shouldn't be too difficult for Cardinals fans to see how bright the future looks. But they're going to need to hold out hope as the Cardinals will likely lose 90 games or more this season.

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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently tabbed Cardinals catcher and designated hitter Iván Herrera as the team's most likely breakout star this season. With a top prospect like Wetherholt to consider, this is some high praise for Herrera.

Iván Herrera has the chance to be baseball's next star slugger

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"Bone spurs in his elbow limited Herrera to DH duties last year, and he will likely be eased back into action behind the plate following offseason surgery, but it's his bat that earns him a place on this list," Reuter wrote. "In 711 plate appearances over the last two seasons, he has a 132 OPS+ with 24 home runs and 93 RBI, and his value skyrockets if he can maintain that level of production while returning to catching."

Herrera has flashed signs of being a star at the big league level, but he hasn't found the consistency. He holds a 127 OPS+ over four seasons in the big leagues, but in that time, he's only played in 203 games and taken 672 at-bats. To put that in perspective, Julio Rodriguez led the league with 652 at-bats last year.

Herrera has all the ability in the world to be the next star in St. Louis, but health and availability have to come first. Last season, Herrera eclipsed 100 games for the first time and slugged 19 home runs. With more consistency in the lineup, he could be a 30 home run hitter with potential to continue climbing. Hopefully the Cardinals will get more from him in 2026.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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