For the first time in his four-year career, Brendan Donovan is playing more than 2/3 of his games at one position. He’s settled into the role as the St. Louis Cardinals‘ regular second baseman. He’s also having the strongest season of anyone at that position in MLB.
Brendan Donovan Becoming a Top Second Baseman in MLB
Leading All Second Basemen Offensively
Statistically, Donovan is having the best season of any MLB second baseman. He leads all second basemen in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage with his .355/.395/.481 slash line. He also leads the league in OPS at .876, hits at 69, and doubles at 18.
“[Donovan’s] different. Every night he’s playing hard, hitting every single night it feels like,” shortstop Masyn Winn told Fanduel Sports Network after the Cardinals’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. “Today was just another example of why he’s the best second baseman in the game right now.”
Donovan is sixth in MLB in sweet spot percentage, according to Baseball Savant. The 28-year-old also has the seventh-lowest whiff percentage, swinging and missing just 12 percent of the time. That has led to him having the ninth-lowest strikeout percentage at just 10.9 percent. Donovan has batted third in the lineup in 86 percent of his starts. His ability to hit for a high average and not strike out has helped the Cardinals offense excel this season.
The Doubles King
Donovan leads all second basemen in doubles by a margin of four. He leads the NL in doubles and is second in MLB to Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. His ability to hit doubles is no accident. The second baseman has been working on the skill this season. Donovan talked about angling his pitches to the large gaps in the deep Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“I think it’s just about being diligent with the angles I am hitting the ball,” Donovan told MLB.com’s John Denton. “We have so many things to track balls in our cages, so knowing what angles perform the best for me off my batted-ball profile, I practice my shots.”
The barrage of doubles this season has given him the highest slugging percentage of all MLB second basemen, despite only hitting four home runs this season. It’s also earned him the admiration and appreciation of his manager, Oliver Marmol.
“[Donovan’s] not trying to do too much and because of that he’s getting a high level of production out of it,” Marmol told Denton. “He’s staying on balls and going the other way, and he knows when to take his shots. He’s becoming more of a smart hitter and knows when to do what and he’s being rewarded for it.”
A Leader for the Team
Donovan may have only been a major leaguer for four years, but he’s become a veteran presence for the Cardinals. Leading by example with his hard work and selfless play, he summed up what he and the team are doing well this year after an 11-4 win over the Detroit Tigers last week.
“That’s just the identity of this team,” Donovan told Fanduel Sports Network about the lineup’s relentless at-bats. “That’s how we want to be remembered, that’s how we show up, how we attack the day every day, whether it’s raining or not that’s the approach we want to take.”
Donovan won a Gold Glove Award his rookie year as a utility player. Up until this season, he’s been an ameba for the Cardinals defensively. However, this season the team needed him to shore up second base for them and give continuity, especially with a first-time first baseman in Willson Contreras taking over.
He’s a smart baserunner too. Baseball Savant has him in the top 10 percentile of the league for his baserunning run value. Donovan is third on the team in both runs and stolen bases.
Donovan isn’t scheduled to be a free agent until 2028. However, he may be playing himself into a big contract before his arbitration is up, as the Cardinals will be seeking to lock up a player who could be a big part of their future this offseason.
Photo Credit: © Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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