With runners on second and third for the Cardinals and one out on Monday, the Brewers made the head-scratching decision to intentionally walk the Cardinals' newest young star, JJ Wetherholt, to bring Iván Herrera to the plate with the bases loaded.
Were they unfamiliar with Herrera’s game? Apparently so.
Herrera proceeded to launch a bases-clearing double off the base of the wall in left-center field at Busch Stadium, putting the Cardinals up, 4-0, and eventually leading them to their 21st win of the season.
“People say it's personal. It's not personal, but, like, I want to have success in that situation, because they just walked somebody just to pitch to me,” Herrera told reporters after the game. “Maybe I'm the liability on the team, you know. So that, for me, was kind of like the thought I had. 'You want this? I got you.'”
Herrera certainly got them, and while the baseball world seems to have recognized the budding talents that the Cardinals have in Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, it’s time they start paying attention to Herrera, who has a strong argument as the most underrated bat in today’s game.
Since he became a regular in 2024, Herrera has quietly produced like one of baseball’s elite young hitters. Since the start of that season, among players age 26 or younger with at least 850 plate appearances, he ranks first in on-base percentage (.381), second in wRC+ (135) and third in batting average (.284). The only player consistently ahead of him across those categories? Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Injuries have interrupted Herrera's momentum. Sharing a clubhouse with Yadier Molina and Willson Contreras also kept him from fully stepping into the spotlight during his first four Major League seasons. Whatever the reason, Herrera continues to fly under the radar despite the production.
That offensive upside is exactly why the Cardinals continue investing in Herrera behind the plate. Since 2024, Herrera ranks first among catchers in those same offensive categories, and somehow, his numbers become even more eye-popping on days when he’s catching. In the 81 games he caught over that stretch, Herrera slashed .324/.410/.500, which is good for a 158 wRC+ (outpacing the runner-up, Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh, by 33 points).
Offensive production of this caliber is rare anywhere on the diamond. Behind the plate, it can change the complexion of a lineup.
Aside from proving he can stay on the field for the majority of a season, Herrera still has defensive boxes to check before St. Louis will rely on him more heavily behind the plate. But he’s made it abundantly clear to anyone who watches him just how valuable a bat he can bring to that position. And even if Herrera’s long-term home is at a different position or as a designated hitter, his bat does more damage than he typically gets credit for.
Much of Herrera’s production is backed by stable underlying indicators rather than unsustainable batted-ball luck.
Herrera has continued to grow as a hitter year over year. In 2025, Herrera improved the quality of his contact, leading to more damage at the plate to complement his already plus on-base skills. So far in '26, he’s coupled that damage with an elite walk rate (16.8%) and an improved strikeout rate (16.8%). He’s entered the rare territory of hitters who walk as often as they strike out while consistently driving the baseball with authority.
That kind of offensive profile is uniquely difficult to navigate, because Herrera rarely expands his zone, consistently barrels pitches to all fields, and punishes mistakes without selling out for power.
There’s a clear problem that now arises for opposing pitchers: How do they pitch to him? In a game that has become increasingly split-heavy at the plate, Herrera does damage against right-handed pitchers and southpaws alike. His .800 OPS against righties since 2024 would already make him a dangerous bat for any lineup, but he complements that with a .896 OPS against lefties, leaving opposing managers with a “pick your poison” scenario, especially sandwiched between two lefties in Wetherholt and Alec Burleson.
Health continues to be key for Herrera, and he’s yet to miss a game for the Cardinals this season. Should he finish 2026 with close to 600 plate appearances while sustaining or even improving upon that production, the perception of Herrera should finally begin to match what the numbers have been screaming:
The bat plays.