For a club that traded away its established stars over the winter and was picked to finish near the bottom of the division, the St. Louis Cardinals had a notable presence in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Three Cardinals suited up for the National League: outfielder Jordan Walker, catcher Ivan Herrera and closer Riley O’Brien.
O’Brien was the one to leave a mark. The right-hander worked a scoreless inning out of the NL bullpen, allowing one hit and striking out a batter as the American League rolled to a 4-0 win. It was a clean cameo for a reliever who has quietly become one of the game’s more effective closers, with 24 saves and a 3.43 ERA over 39.1 innings this season.
Walker and Herrera each went hitless in a single at-bat in a game the NL never led, but the selections told the larger story. Walker, once among the sport’s top prospects, has delivered on the promise at last, hitting .294 with 22 home runs, 74 RBIs and an .886 OPS. Herrera has been a steady everyday bat behind the plate and at designated hitter, batting .249 with 11 homers and a .771 OPS across 95 games.
Three All-Stars from a team that was supposed to rebuild reflects how far St. Louis has outrun its preseason projections. The Cardinals sit at 50-45, third in the division and squarely in the wild-card conversation, because the young players the organization bet on have produced. This roster was developed rather than bought, and the break handed it a national stage.
The second half will test how the front office reads all of it. St. Louis was widely expected to sell at the Aug. 3 deadline, and O’Brien in particular has drawn trade interest as a controllable, high-leverage arm. Whether a team this close to a wild-card spot still sells is the question that will define the Cardinals’ July.
For fantasy managers, O’Brien’s 24 saves make him a top-tier closer, though anyone rostering him should track the deadline chatter, since a trade could move him out of the ninth inning on a new club. Walker has become an every-week outfielder on the strength of his power and average, and Herrera’s eligibility at catcher and DH gives him quiet value in two-catcher and deeper formats.
