Cardinals' Slug Leader Predicted To Cool Off: 'Extremely Difficult To Sustain'

He's been absolutely demolishing the ball to start the 2025 campaign

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

The St. Louis Cardinals exploded out of the gate to begin the 2025 season, and no one’s been hotter at the plate for the Cards than their catcher.

Ivan Herrera is leading St. Louis in slugging percentage (1.100), total bases (22), RBI (11), and home runs (4).

But how sustainable is Herrera’s absurd production?

On Sunday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter released a “buy/sell”-themed article and included Herrera’s torrid start in the “sell” category, indicating that Herrera is bound to come back down to Earth soon.

“Iván Herrera quietly turned in an excellent 2024 season, hitting .301/.372/.428 for a 125 OPS+ in 259 plate appearances while seeing his first extended action in the big leagues,” Reuter wrote.

“With Willson Contreras shifting to first base this season, the starting catcher job now belongs to Herrera, and he is off to a red-hot start thanks to a three-homer game on Wednesday against the (Los Angeles) Angels.”

“There were some regression red flags in his strong numbers last season, including a .370 batting average on balls in play that will be extremely difficult to sustain over a full season.”

“The 24-year-old has the tools to be a 2-WAR player behind the plate for the Cardinals this season, but after topping out at 17 home runs in the minors, his early power surge will likely prove to be an anomaly. Verdict: Sell.”

Herrera, a native of Panama, is slashing .400/.455/1.100 through his first six games of 2025, tallying four home runs, two doubles, and 11 RBI.

The Cardinals entered Sunday with a 4-3 record and were set to play a doubleheader versus the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park after Saturday’s game was postponed due to rain.

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