Herrera Has Put in the Work, But the Running Game Still Has the Final Word

The Cardinal Chronicle
Herrea Has Put in the Work, But the Running Game Still Has the Final Word       St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Iván Herrera has done what the Cardinals asked him to do.

He showed up this spring, willing to work. He spent time around Yadier Molina. He listened. He took instruction. He committed to the daily grind of becoming more than a bat-first catcher.

By all accounts, Herrera has tried to improve the mental side of the position, the game-calling responsibilities, the leadership piece, and the pitch-to-pitch concentration that separated Molina from most catchers of his generation.

That matters.

Molina’s old message was simple: Catch all 100 pitches. Not 97. Not 98. All 100. One missed block, one wrong target, one lazy receive, one poor throw can change a game.

Herrera appears to understand that better now than he did earlier in his career.

There are signs of growth. He looks more comfortable handling pitchers. He has worked with Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, and the Cardinals have clearly trusted him with more responsibility behind the plate than they did a year ago, when he was used more often as a designated hitter because of injury, roster fit, and defensive concerns.

That is the positive side of the story.

The other side is just as real.

For all the work, all the effort, and all the spring instruction, Herrera still has not become the kind of catcher who controls the running game. That is not an insult. That is not piling on. That is simply where the weakness still shows.

The arm does not scare runners. The exchange is not quick enough to cover for average throws. The pop time is not a weapon. And in today’s game, with larger bases, limited disengagements, and more aggressive baserunning, a catcher who does not deter runners creates pressure on the entire defense.

That is the issue with Herrera behind the plate.

It is not that he cannot hit. He can hit.

It is not that he does not care. He clearly does.

It is not that Molina failed him. Molina can teach preparation, focus, positioning, game awareness, staff handling, and the little things that turn a catcher into a leader. But Molina cannot lend Herrera his arm, his footwork, or his release in the ninth inning with a runner taking off.

At some point, the instruction has to meet the tools.

That is where the Cardinals’ catching picture gets complicated.

Herrera’s bat belongs in the lineup. His offensive value is real enough that St. Louis has to find ways to keep him involved. He controls the strike zone, gets on base, has enough power to matter, and gives the Cardinals a right-handed bat with legitimate run-producing value.

But catching is not only about the bat.

The Cardinals know that better than almost any organization in baseball. This franchise spent nearly two decades watching Molina change games without swinging. He shut down running games before they started. Teams stopped testing him. Pitchers trusted him. Infielders played with confidence because they knew not every single or walk was about to become a runner in scoring position.

That is the standard in St. Louis.

It may not be fair to compare Herrera to Molina. Almost nobody measures up to that. But it is fair to ask whether Herrera can be good enough defensively to catch regularly for a team trying to win meaningful games.

Right now, the answer remains unsettled.

Herrera has improved in some areas. He deserves credit for that. But controlling the running game remains the glaring hole. Opponents are not treating him like a catcher they need to respect. They are treating him like a catcher they can test.

That matters in April. It matters more in September. It matters even more in October.

The Cardinals do not need Herrera to become the next Yadier Molina. That player is not walking back through the clubhouse door with a chest protector on in our lifetime.

But they do need Herrera to become dependable enough that his bat does not come with a defensive tax every time a runner reaches first base.

That is the line the Cardinals have to walk.

Herrera’s work with Molina is a good story. It shows maturity. It shows buy-in. It shows a young catcher trying to grow into a more complete player.

But the final answer will not come from spring drills, quotes, or good intentions.
It will come when a runner breaks for second, the throw has to be there, and the Cardinals need an out.

Until Herrera starts winning those moments, the question remains the same: Can he catch enough to let the bat play, or is his best long-term value still tied to the bat-first role the Cardinals were already leaning toward?

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB