In many respects, the development of a baseball prospect closely mirrors the way a child grows up. Just as children who are raised in stable, supportive environments tend to have better chances of success later in life, young players are far more likely to reach their potential when they come up through an organization that understands how to nurture talent and build around individual strengths. When a team provides clear direction, modern resources, and a thoughtful development plan, the odds of a prospect thriving increase dramatically.
That context makes Ivan Herrera’s rise all the more remarkable.
By the end of John Mozeliak’s tenure as president of baseball operations, the St. Louis Cardinals’ player development pipeline was widely viewed as dysfunctional. Once known as one of baseball’s model organizations, the Cardinals had fallen behind the rest of the league in adopting cutting-edge technology, advanced analytics, and progressive scouting and development practices.
Even more damning was the lack of homegrown star power. Since the emergence of Yadier Molina nearly 25 years ago, the franchise had failed to develop a true superstar from within its own system. For an organization that once prided itself on sustainable success, this drought underscored just how far the development apparatus had slipped.
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Against that backdrop, Herrera’s success stands out as something of an anomaly. Despite being raised in a system that struggled to modernize and maximize talent, the 25-year-old emerged as one of the Cardinals’ most productive hitters during the 2025 season. He posted an impressive slash line of .284/.373/.464, numbers that placed him among the team’s offensive leaders.
Herrera finished third on the roster in batting average and ranked second in on-base percentage, showcasing a disciplined approach at the plate and a consistent ability to produce quality at-bats. In a lineup that often searched for reliable offense, Herrera provided stability and upside.
However, while his bat made a strong case for everyday playing time, his defense has been a recurring concern throughout his major league career. Catching, a position that demands both physical durability and high-level defensive instincts, has been a challenge for Herrera.
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Questions about his framing, footwork, and overall defensive reliability led the Cardinals to limit his time behind the plate. Instead, the team often deployed him as a designated hitter, prioritizing his offensive contributions while minimizing the defensive risks.
The Cardinals even experimented with Herrera in the outfield for a brief stretch last season, a move that underscored the organization’s uncertainty about his long-term defensive home. While the experiment was limited, it spoke volumes about how hesitant the previous regime was to fully commit to Herrera as a catcher. For a player originally developed as a backstop, this lack of clarity only added to the sense that his skills were never being maximized within the organization.
Despite these challenges, Herrera has not abandoned the idea of returning to his natural position. He has publicly expressed a strong desire to get another opportunity behind the plate, believing that with the right instruction and support, he can improve defensively and become a more complete player. That belief appears to be shared by the Cardinals’ new leadership.
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With Chaim Bloom now in place as the team’s president of baseball operations, the organization is entering a new era—one defined by modernization, data-driven decision-making, and a renewed emphasis on player development. Bloom’s track record suggests a willingness to invest in infrastructure and tailor development plans to individual players, rather than forcing them into rigid organizational molds. Under this new regime, Herrera may finally receive the comprehensive support he lacked earlier in his career.
Bloom seems to view Herrera not as a flawed player to be worked around, but as a talented hitter whose defensive shortcomings can be addressed with the right resources and coaching. If the Cardinals can combine Herrera’s proven offensive ability with meaningful defensive improvement, they may unlock a level of production that was previously out of reach.
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In that sense, Herrera’s story is both a testament to his resilience and a reflection of the importance of organizational context. He succeeded in spite of a broken development system, not because of it. Now, with a new leadership group committed to rebuilding that foundation, Herrera has a chance to flourish in a way that once seemed unlikely. What once felt like a minor miracle could, under the right conditions, become a sustainable success story for both player and franchise.
Bloom believes the previous iteration of the Cardinals did not aptly prepare Herrera for the major leagues.
During a media session at the Winter Meetings, Chaim Bloom offered some unusually blunt thoughts about Ivan Herrera’s development under former Cardinals president John Mozeliak, pulling back the curtain on how the organization handled one of its most important young players.
Bloom suggested that, when looking at Herrera’s path as a whole, the catcher was rarely put in a position to truly succeed at his natural spot. According to Bloom, a mix of organizational issues played a role, including the overall state of the franchise and the internal depth chart at catcher.
Those factors, he implied, often determine whether a young player actually gets a fair opportunity or is rushed forward out of necessity. In Herrera’s case, Bloom felt the circumstances created an environment where he was expected to perform at the highest level without receiving the teaching and patience normally required to master such a demanding position.
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Bloom went on to emphasize Herrera’s strong desire to remain a catcher, something that has not wavered despite the challenges he has faced. He noted that the Cardinals’ minor league system is now more fully built out than it was in previous years, which could make a real difference for Herrera moving forward.
After rehabbing his elbow and working through a specialized throwing program at Driveline, Herrera may be able to improve his arm strength. Just as importantly, Bloom said, a stronger developmental infrastructure should allow Herrera to better grasp the finer points of catching — the game-calling, positioning, and preparation that go far beyond simply squatting behind the plate.
Taken as a whole, Bloom’s remarks sounded like a pointed critique of how Mozeliak allowed the Cardinals’ player development operation to deteriorate. The front office seemed enamored with Herrera’s offensive potential and appeared willing to assume that his defensive shortcomings would eventually correct themselves at the major league level.
That approach echoed the organization’s thinking when it brought in Willson Contreras, believing he could effectively replace Yadier Molina behind the plate with minimal adjustment. In both cases, the complexity of the catching position may have been underestimated.
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Catching is widely considered one of the hardest jobs in baseball to learn, often requiring more time in the minors than other positions. By pushing Herrera through the system relatively quickly, the Cardinals may have unintentionally set him up to arrive in the big leagues as a work in progress rather than a finished product. The result was a player whose bat showed promise, but whose defense lagged behind, reinforcing the idea that development timelines matter — especially for catchers.
Herrera’s situation is not an isolated example. Several other highly regarded Cardinals prospects have struggled to reach their projected ceilings within what has become a much-criticized system. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, both recent first-round picks, have seen their progress stall at the major league level.
One notable distinction, however, is that Walker and Gorman were drafted out of high school, while some of the Cardinals’ more successful homegrown players in recent years — including Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson — came out of college. Those college players benefited from additional development time before entering the Cardinals’ system, arriving as more polished and fundamentally sound contributors.
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Even so, Herrera stands out in one important way. As an international signing who joined the organization at just 16 years old, he managed to overcome many of the same obstacles that have tripped up other young players, at least offensively. His ability to hold his own at the plate suggests that his talent was never the issue. Rather, it was the developmental support around him that fell short.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals have reportedly been in discussions with Yadier Molina about increasing his presence around the team in 2026, particularly to help mentor the catchers. Few people in baseball history are better qualified to teach the craft than Molina, whose understanding of the position is legendary. For Herrera, having access to that kind of knowledge could be invaluable, and it would make sense for him to soak up as much guidance as possible from the longtime Cardinals icon.
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While expectations for the Cardinals as a whole remain modest heading into 2026, Herrera’s growth behind the plate could become one of the most compelling storylines of the season. If he can develop into even an average defensive catcher, it would represent a major victory for the organization under Bloom’s leadership. It would also serve as further evidence that a change at the top was necessary.
Perhaps, with Bloom now steering the ship, the Cardinals can rediscover what once made them a model franchise: a supportive, well-structured development system that nurtures young players and helps them reach their full potential. If that happens, Herrera’s journey may end up symbolizing not just personal growth, but a broader organizational revival.
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