The Cardinals came away from this season with a clearer picture of where things stand behind the plate, and Ivan Herrera’s name is right in the middle of it.
St. Louis now appears to have a path toward Leo Bernal as its starting catcher in 2027, but Herrera is still very much in the mix.
His defense has not been perfect, yet the Cardinals saw enough progress from him this year to keep believing he can handle the position. Herrera, for his part, says the work he put in behind the plate made a real difference.
"I feel like this year my preparation behind the plate was so much better in terms of calling the game, knowing when to pitch to somebody, how to attack hitters, I think did a good job thanks to the Cardinals," Herrera said.
The biggest hurdle remains his arm. Herrera did not dodge that part of the conversation.
"Throwing I definitely need to improve, man. I definitely need to throw harder. If I figure that out, I'm going to be a really good catcher."
The numbers back up some of the progress. According to Baseball Savant, Herrera was one above average in blocks per game and two above average in pop time. His throwing still needs work, but the Cardinals saw gains in other parts of his defensive game, and that matters.
If Herrera can clean up the throwing, his ceiling behind the plate changes fast. His bat is still his calling card, and St. Louis needs that kind of production in the middle of the lineup every day.
That’s where things could get interesting. If Herrera’s defense takes another step, the Cardinals could start mixing and matching him and Bernal at catcher and designated hitter. That would give them two strong options at both spots and a pairing that could end up among the better catching tandems in the majors.
For now, though, everything circles back to the throwing. Fix that, and the Cardinals suddenly have real flexibility with their catching and DH plans as they sort out who fits into their long-term future.
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