The St. Louis Cardinals have emerged as one of the biggest surprise teams in Major League Baseball this season, and one of their standout performers is finally earning well-deserved recognition.
Few expected much from St. Louis after the organization parted ways with several key veterans during the offseason. Despite those lowered expectations, the Cardinals head into the All-Star break on the fringe of the playoff race following a crucial series victory over the Atlanta Braves. What was widely viewed as a rebuilding campaign has instead become a breakthrough season, as several young players have stepped into expanded roles and played a major part in the team’s unexpected success.
JJ Wetherholt has impressed enough in his rookie season to reportedly earn himself a nine-figure contract extension, which makes him the Cardinals’ highest-paid player. At the same time, 24-year-old Jordan Walker has taken a massive step forward in his development and was named an All-Star.
Ivan Herrera will replace Shohei Ohtani in the All-Star Game
Walker won’t be the Cardinals’ lone representative at this year’s All-Star Game. He will be joined by reliever Riley O’Brien and catcher Iván Herrera, who was named by MLB as the replacement for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on the National League All-Star roster.
St. Louis signed Herrera as a 16-year-old undrafted free agent in 2016, and he has picked up right where he left off after his breakout season last year as one of the most impactful batters in the Cardinals’ lineup. The 26-year-old slugger is slashing .251/.384/.395 with 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in this season, tacking on a career-high 14 doubles as well, and opened up on what it felt like to be named an All-Star for the first time.
“It’s a dream,” Herrera said, per the Associated Press. “Everybody thinks about going to an All-Star Game. You just can’t describe the feelings. I’m just excited for it and trying to take it all in right now.”
Herrera and the rest of the Cardinals team have exceeded expectations this season, making the upcoming trade deadline even more interesting. Heading into this season, St. Louis was not expected to make a splash, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the Cardinals add at the deadline, given how close they are to reaching the playoffs. Either way, it’s great to see how well some of St. Louis’ players are developing.
