Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals Slugger Doing Things No One Else At His Position Is

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 16, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals unfortunately lost Iván Herrera for a while this season due to a knee injury, but he's back and looking as good as ever.

The 24-year-old has had a dominant start to the 2025 Major League Baseball campaign, even with his injury. Herrera missed a month and has played in five games since his return. He has collected at least one base hit in each game and is slashing .389/.455/.667 with one homer and three RBIs. Overall, this season, he is slashing .385/.457/.872 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 12 games played.

That could obviously be viewed as a small sample size, but he was great last year too. Last year, he appeared in 72 games and slashed .301/.372/.428 with five homers and 27 RBIs. He has been so good that Cardinals Stats And Facts shared that since the beginning of last year, Herrera actually is leading catchers in batting average (.313), on-base percentage (.385), slugging percentage (.493), OPS (.877), and wRC+ (147) with minimum 300 plate appearances.

Ivan Herrera ranks among catchers since 2024 (min 300 PAs):

.313 Avg (1st)
.385 OBP (1st)
.493 Slg % (1st)
.877 OPS (1st)
147 wRC+ (1st)
.380 wOBA

That's really good pic.twitter.com/QLGISO1g4l
— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@STL_Stats_Facts) May 15, 2025

84 games isn't the biggest sample size in the world, but it does show that the Cardinals have a special talent on their hands. He's arguably the biggest reason why three-time All-Star Willson Contreras is playing first base now rather than being the team's everyday catcher. Herrera is just 24 years old and has a bright future in St. Louis if he can stay healthy. This year has been a breakout for him. It will be fun to see what he can do next and if he can keep it up.

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

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