Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Found Perfect Building Block Of The Future

The Cardinals found another homegrown star...
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have got to be fired up about Brendan Donovan.

This is a guy who is just 28 years old and now has earned the first All-Star nod of his career. Donovan is in his fourth big league season and it has been the best year yet. He ended the first half of the season with a .297/.367/.430 slash line with eight home runs, 36 RBIs, three stolen bases, 22 doubles, and 51 runs scored in 89 games played. On top of this, Donovan has provided Gold Glove-caliber defense and leadership in the clubhouse.

Donovan is a star and gives the Cardinals much-needed flexibility. He's seen a lot of time at second base this season, but also at shortstop, left field, and designated hitter. Donovan is teh real deal and what makes him even better is his clear passion for St. Louis as a whole. Early in the season, it was shared how he stepped into the leadership void left by Paul Goldschmidt when he signed with the New York Yankees.

On top of that, he seemingly has nothing but good things to say about St. Louis as a whole and the historic nature of the franchise and how he fits in that. For example, he was asked about representing the Cardinals in the All-Star Game and again talked about the history of the organization.

"The Birds on the Bat is one of those jerseys that's traditional, that's iconic," Donovan said. "I think representing the city and this organization wearing this jersey is something that I'm extremely excited to do."

Donovan is the type of guy you want on your team. He's obviously talented. But, even more so, he clearly cares about this organization and does all of the little things well. St. Louis should do everything possible to keep him around for the long term.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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