St. Louis Cardinals Prospect No. 5: Ivan Herrera, C

5. Ivan Herrera, C

Bats/Throws: R/R

Height/Weight: 5-11, 220

Age: 21

Acquired: International signing July 2016 (Panama)

In 2021: .229/.342/.403, .745 OPS, 17 HR, 63 RBIs, 13 2B (Class AA, AAA)

Scouting Report: The rising Panamanian catcher Velcroed himself to Yadier Molina during spring training and like so many young Cardinals catchers before him even adopted some of the mannerisms of the nine-time Gold Glove Award-winner. Also like several heirs that came before him, Herrera experienced a dip in offensive production just as he got within sight of joining Molina in the majors. Midway through their minor-league climbs, Tony Cruz and Carson Kelly also experienced sags in their offense as the time commitment and defensive demands of the position increased. Herrera has shown improvement year to year, but must advance this season in his handling of pitches and consistency behind the plate. He has the agility, the arm, and the devotion of a strong catcher but must makeup for all the innings lost without a season in 2020. With the exception of a single game for Triple-A Memphis, Herrera spent the year at Springfield and beyond his .231 average he elevated his on-base percentage with 60 walks and his slugging percentage with 17 home runs. He often makes contact when he swings, has enough power, and both will growth with him toward the majors (and in them) if his defense merits the playing time. Already on the 40-man roster, he’s an injury away from being relied on. Herrera is part of the Cardinals’ post-Molina plan at catcher. He can shape how much a part with his performance this year.

He was 1-6 in the Grapefruit League this spring and opened the season at Memphis. 

ETA: 2022