On Sunday afternoon, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan received his invitation to play in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Donovan earned his first all-star selection by an impressive first half of the 2025 season. He entered play on Sunday with a .296 AVG, and .798 OPS. The lefty has the 5th least strikeouts among his position and leads the National League second baseman in hits (94) as well as doubles (22) in the same category. Donovan has not only handled the bat well in the first half, but he’s also flashed his glove. The Cardinals have used their utility man primarily at second, but he’s seen play in the outfield and shortstop this year as an above-average defender.
“I love every second of him. Just being able for that day to be possible, there’s a lot of work that has gone into it for Donnie,” Said Cardinal’s manager “Oli” Marmol. “When you think about that style of player, it’s not this big-time prospect. It’s this guy who’s just grinding his way to the big leagues.”
Although Donovan can hold his own on several batting statistic lists, Ketel Marte was selected as the National League starting second baseman while Donovan will be given his shot from the bench as a reserve player. In a world where homeruns seem to trump the other batting categories, Ketel Marte’s 19 homeruns may have pushed the decision over the edge. Following a large gap on the list, former Cardinal Tommy Edman is next in line with ten bombs. Although Donovan has only crushed seven homers in 2025, he grinds at-bats, puts the ball in play and consistently hits the ball on a line instead of relying on big home-run power.
Donovan is the only St. louis All Star this year. The last time The Cardinals had multi all-stars on the roster was 2022 with Paul Goldschmidt starting at 1B and Nolan Arenado acting as a reserve player.
The All-Star Game will be played on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. First Pitch is at 7:00 PM CDT on Fox Sports.
I'm a writer trying to make his mark in the baseball journalism world. I graduated with a journalism degree from Union University where I pitched four years of D2 baseball.
