The finalists for the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game have been announced and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan did not make the cut. In his place is former Cardinals and current Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman, along with Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte, as the two finalists for the position.
How did this happen? Donovan is fourth in the National League in batting average and has been a key piece in the Cardinals performing above expectations this year.
This is all fan voting, of course, and the fans did not step up to help Donovan get into position to be among the finalists in the National League. With fans still being reluctant to return to Busch Stadium, they have also allowed their best chance at an All-Star starter to fall away by not voting.
The Cardinals have fallen from the public eye in national media since the final season in the careers of Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols, but with 14 of 17 finalists coming from three teams in the National League, plenty of teams have something to gripe about. Still, Donovan has been the best second baseman in the league this season and should not have been snubbed by the fan vote.
Donovan may be a household name in St. Louis, but across the country, it seems many fans don’t seem to recognize his play.
This could have escalated from his utility usage, with injuries befalling the Cardinals' outfielders, slotting him to play in the grass more often than was expected this season. This could be an issue with the voting, but he was the Cardinals' second base candidate, so that should not have deterred fans from voting in his favor the way they did for Edman and Marte.
Donovan is practically a guarantee to represent St. Louis in the All-Star Game, but it would have been well-deserved to hear his name announced in the starting lineup.