Here’s a stat that will make Cardinals fans wince. Ivan Herrera has now allowed 50 consecutive stolen base attempts. The last time he actually threw someone out? Juan Soto was still a Yankee. That was September 1, 2024. Over ten months ago.
Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Brewers made it official when Brice Turang swiped second base. That’s 50 in a row under Herrera’s watch, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. For a catcher, that’s not just a slump. That’s a full-blown crisis of confidence behind the plate.
The weird part is he doesn’t make errors
Herrera has only four career errors. His last one came in 2025. So the issue isn’t that he’s bobbling the ball or throwing it into center field. It’s something else entirely. Maybe it’s a slow transfer. Maybe it’s a hitch in his footwork. Whatever it is, runners see it and they go. And they keep going.
The 26-year-old Panama native has played 35 games at catcher this season. But St. Louis clearly prefers him at designated hitter, where he’s started 57 games. With a stolen-base-allowed streak like this, you can see why.
There’s good news at the plate though
Herrera’s bat makes the defensive issues a little easier to stomach. His .249 average doesn’t jump off the page, but his .384 on-base percentage does. He’s got 83 hits, 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 91 games. That kind of production from a catcher is legit.
The Cardinals are 48-44 and sitting 10.5 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central. Not out of it. But not exactly cruising either. If they want to make a real push, they’ll need Herrera’s offense in the lineup. The question is whether they can hide his glove well enough to make it work.
Teams have noticed, by the way. Opponents aren’t running on a whim. They’re testing him constantly. And so far, they haven’t been wrong once.
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