Cardinals Writer Makes Strong All-Star Case For Breakout Slugger

The St. Louis Cardinals suffered a tough loss on Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals. They blew a 7-2 lead and lost the game by a final of 10-7.

However, they are still six games above the .500 mark after a red-hot May and remain in the hunt for a spot in the 2025 postseason. Their young players have really stepped up and provided a spark for a team that wasn't expected to contend this year.

All-Star voting is now open for the Midsummer Classic at Truist Park. Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants made a strong case for designated hitter Ivan Herrera to be included.

"Since his return, he's found himself at the designated hitter spot," Gauvain writes.

"He is slashing .333/.421/.578 with six home runs and 25 runs batted in. Among designated hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, his batting average ranks first, his OBP ranks second, and his slugging percentage ranks third. His 177 wRC+ trails only Shohei Ohtani."

While Herrera missed significant time and doesn't have near the number of plate appearances as Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber or Marcell Ozuna, he certainly has made a strong case to at least be considered for the All-Star Game.

Perhaps he could make it onto the roster as a reserve and be used as a DH or even a catcher, which is his primary position.

He was originally supposed to be the starting catcher this year, but he is finding success as the DH. We'll see if he gets any consideration.