Feb 11, 2026, 12:34 AM ET

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (elbow) turned heads with his bat towards the end of 2024 and entered last season poised to take over as the team's everyday catcher. Unfortunately, an elbow injury limited him to just 14 games behind the plate, making him a utility-only bat for next season on NFBC. Still, he is listed as a catcher on Yahoo. Herrera thrived in 2025, slashing .284/.373/.464 with 19 homers, 66 RBI, and 54 runs scored in just 107 games played. The production was backed up by excellent contact rates (78.8%) and quality (47% Hard-Hit and 11% Barrel rates). He even chipped in eight stolen bases. Fantasy managers will hope Herrera regains catcher eligibility on sites like NFBC, and recent reports are positive. According to Derrick Gould of the St.Louis Dispatch, the Cardinals are going to try using Herrera at first base and outfield if it doesn't work out at catcher. The 26-year-old could be a relative steal for managers willing to take the risk and cover the catcher position until he again qualifies. Fortunately, his bat is potent enough that there is little downside even if he is restricted to DH duties all season. ATC projects him with a .268/.353/.428 slash line with 17 home runs, 65 RBI, 67 runs, and seven stolen bases across 127 games. Herrera has an NFBC ADP of 171, which aligns with his RotoBaller ranking of 173, making him a solid pick toward the middle rounds of upcoming fantasy drafts.--Michael Cecchini - RotoBaller