Ivan Herrera

Herrera's reputation as an offensive-minded catcher held true in 2024. Among Cardinals hitters to accrue at least 250 plate appearances, Herrera led the club with his .369 xwOBA. However, while he graded out fine as a framer and blocker of balls in the dirt, Herrera was so inept at throwing out opposing base stealers (he caught just four of them in 59 tries) that he was leap-frogged on the depth chart by the defensively-superior Pedro Pages during the stretches Willson Contreras was hurt. Contreras will move off catcher full-time in 2025, leaving Herrera and Pages to split starts behind the dish. Herrera's offensive upside makes him a fine fantasy sleeper, but he'll need to show some level of improvement with his throwing if he wants to outpace Pages in playing time. Read Past Outlooks