Iván Herrera Has Emerged as a Top Catcher in 2025

All offseason long, the discussion surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals revolved around the ball club swallowing their pride and potentially selling off veterans. They’re an organization that has established such a high standard and has not needed to rebuild, so the very thought of it felt foreign to Cardinal Fans.

Fast forward a few months and the Cardinals are seven games over .500, looking the part of a potential playoff contender this season. Starting pitching that has surpassed expectations mixed with a number of core position players stepping up has led to the Cardinals being better than most expected.

Their turnaround and improved play coinciding with Iván Herrera returning to the lineup is no coincidence. The 25 year-old catcher has played in parts of the past three seasons but was mostly blocked by Willson Contreras, who has since moved to first base after Paul Goldschmidt’s departure.

Herrera looked great in 72 games last season, slashing .301/.372/.428 with a 127 wRC+. All signs were pointing toward him being the next long-term answer behind the dish for the Cardinals, but he needed to prove those numbers were not just a hot stretch. So far, he has done just that.

Stats were taken prior to play on June 7.

Herrera’s Breakout Is Real

I usually don’t read too much into smaller samples, but what Herrera has done in only 31 games is looking more like an upward trend rather than just a hot stretch.

Last season, his first extended look in the majors, Herrera displayed plus zone-contact rates (84.2%) while also flashing some of his natural power.

This season, both his contact and power have developed. The game has plenty power hitters who strike out too much and contact hitters who can’t get the ball out of the infield. Herrera, however, is combining both skills, pushing himself into a more unique classification.

Herrera is currently posting an 86.5% zone-contact rate, which is about four percent higher than league average. While his 90.9 mph average exit velocity does not jump off the page, it is more than enough to tap into his power.

Just look at the swing from the post above. A 425-foot home run that left the bat at 109.9 mph with a 26 degree launch angle. Perfect timing, a beautiful bat path, and an effortless bomb to center. You can see the fluidity in his swing, making it easy to believe that his power is going to be a big part of his game.

Herrera’s bat speed is a primary factor in his swing equation. If you look around the league at players with similar contact rates you’ll notice they have significantly slower bat speeds, which is why they tend to be more slap hitters and not power hitters. You won’t find many players with a contact rate and bat speed combination like Herrera, though.

The evidence is already showing up. Through 31 games, Herrera’s six home runs have already surpassed his total from last season. His .236 ISO is up drastically from .127 last season. Sure, a 25.0% home run to fly ball rate is not sustainable, but even as that normalizes Herrera could still find power through adjustments that are just as likely to come.

The easiest way to get to your power is by pulling the ball. Although Herrera has the ability to leave the park to all fields, if he can get to his pull side more often then the home runs will follow. In his young career, Herrera has only pulled the ball in the air at a 14.2% clip. It is not unusual for young players to struggle with this and improve over time.

As he continues to see more major-league pitching, he’ll be able to better pick his spots to attack. Finding a way to pull the ball more and keep it off the ground feels like the next natural step. Although, his all-fields approach should not be abandoned or sacrificed.

In fact, his ability to use all fields should help open up opportunities for him to pull the ball. Earlier this season, Herrera faced Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Skubal, ahead with a 1-2 count, threw a perfect 99 mph fastball on the outside edge of the plate.

Most batters would hope to foul this off and live for another pitch. Herrera shot a line-drive RBI single to right, 98.7 mph off the bat. It was a great example of how Herrera can protect the plate and make the pitcher pay even if the pitch is executed perfectly.

Knowing Herrera has this in his bag will lead to pitchers having one less advantage. You cannot attack the outside of the plate because that’s where Herrera has actually posted his best batted-ball data. High and inside has been more of a challenge, but considering his bat speed it’s only a matter of time before he starts punishing pitchers in that location as well.

Final Thoughts

There are few players that I’m more intrigued with following this season. I truly think Herrera has what it takes to develop into a star and we are seeing flashes of it every night. He’ll need to improve his defense and cut down on the ground-ball rate, but both are reasonable expectations.

St. Louis has earned their reputation as a top-tier organization over the years. I have all the faith in the world with them continuing to find ways to get more out of Herrera and helping him reach his full potential.

I’ve made it this far without mentioning Yadier Molina, but here we are. Although they are different types of players, I could see a path where Herrera is the catcher in St. Louis for the next 10-plus years.