Ivan Herrera

Injuries were the only thing to slow Herrera last season, as knee and hamstring issues conspired to limit him to just 107 contests. When healthy, though, he was the Cardinals' best hitter, sporting a wRC+ of 137 which matched Vladimir Guerrero. The 25-year-old's hard-hit rate, average exit velocity and barrel rate were all well above average, and he paired that plus quality of contact with a 9.5 percent walk rate and just an 18.6 percent strikeout rate. Herrera was a career .288/.414/.460 hitter at the Triple-A level, so the offensive breakout didn't come as a big surprise. While there aren't any real questions about his proficiency at the plate, his ability to stay behind it is in doubt. Herrera didn't catch in the second half and will enter 2026 as utility-only eligible in most formats. However, the Cardinals plan to give him another go at catcher in 2026 following a cleanup procedure on his right elbow, so he should regain eligibility at the position early on as long as he shows enough improvement defensively. Read Past Outlooks