The St. Louis Cardinals not only got a reality check, but they also got a sad realization this week, when it was revealed they have only one player in the MLB Network Top 100 for 2026… catcher Ivan Herrera checked in at No. 98.

Players like Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn and Brendan Donovan failed to make the list at all. And to make matters worse, Herrera’s spot was the lowest for any team’s top player.

Yes, even the Rockies, Athletics, and White Sox had a higher-ranked top player than the Cardinals.

Herrera made his major league debut in 2022. Since then, he’s hit .286 with a .370 on-base percentage and 24 career home runs. Nineteen of those 24 came in 2025, along with 66 RBIs.

Currently, he is one of four catchers on the 40-man roster, along with Pedro Pages, Yohel Pozo and prospect Jimmy Crooks. Two of the top minor-league prospects in the organization, Leonardo Bernal and Rainiel Rodriguez, also are catchers.

Herrera was cleared to begin a throwing program earlier in January and is expected to begin hitting and defensive drills this week, after he underwent surgery in November to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, an injury that limited him to designated-hitter duty in the final few months of the 2025 season.

he 25-year-old is expected to be ready to roll for the start of spring training. Herrera will attempt to return to the catching position in 2026, though Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol indicated that the team’s evaluation of Herrera at catcher will likely continue into the regular season.