| Brendan Donovan | |
|---|---|
 Donovan with the Cardinals in 2024 | |
| St. Louis Cardinals – No. 33 | |
| Utility player | |
| Born: (1997-01-16)January 16, 1997 (age 28) Würzburg,Germany | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 25, 2022, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .282 |
| Home runs | 40 |
| Runs batted in | 202 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Brendan Michael Donovan (born January 16, 1997) is an American professionalbaseballutility player for theSt. Louis Cardinals ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
Born inWürzburg, Germany, and raised inEnterprise, Alabama, Donovan played college baseball at theUniversity of South Alabama before the Cardinals selected him in the seventh round of the2018 MLB draft. He was a part of their minor league system before making his MLB debut in 2022, becoming a consistent member of their lineup as autility player. Following the conclusion of his rookie season, he was named the first-ever recipient of the National LeagueGold Glove Award for a utility player and was also a finalist forNational League Rookie of the Year. In 2025, Donovan was named to his firstAll-Star game.
Donovan attended and played baseball atEnterprise High School inEnterprise, Alabama, where hebatted .467 with fourhome runs, 44runs batted in (RBIs), 17doubles, and sixtriples as a senior in 2015.[1] He attended theUniversity of South Alabama and playedcollege baseball for theSouth Alabama Jaguars.[2] In 2017, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theHyannis Harbor Hawks of theCape Cod Baseball League.[3] In 2018, his junior year, he batted .302 with five home runs and 55 RBIs over 57 games.[4]
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TheSt. Louis Cardinals selected Donovan in the seventh round of the2018 Major League Baseball draft.[5] He signed with St. Louis and made his professional debut with theState College Spikes of theClass A Short SeasonNew York–Penn League, playing in four games. He spent most of the 2019 season with thePeoria Chiefs of theClass AMidwest League and played in one game with theMemphis Redbirds of theClass AAAPacific Coast League, batting .268 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs over 114 games for the season.[6]
Donovan did not play for a minor league team during the 2020 season, which was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6] He started 2021 with Peoria (now members of theHigh-A Central) before being promoted to theSpringfield Cardinals of theDouble-A Central in early June and to Memphis (now members of theTriple-A East) in mid-August.[7] Over 108 games between the three teams, he slashed .304/.399/.455 with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.[8] Donovan was selected to play in theArizona Fall League for theGlendale Desert Dogs after the season where he was named to the Fall Stars Game.[9] He was selected to the 40-man roster after the season on November 19, 2021.[10] Donovan returned to Memphis to begin the 2022 season.[11]
On April 25, 2022, Donovan was promoted to the major leagues.[12] He made his MLB debut that night against theNew York Mets as a pinch runner and scored on a single byTyler O'Neill.[13] The next night, Donovan made his first major league start; he went 0-for-2 and washit by a pitch in a 0–3 loss to theMets.[14] On April 28, Donovan recorded his first career hit: a pinch-hit single against fellow rookieTyler Holton of theArizona Diamondbacks.[15] On May 10, he hit his first MLB home run, off ofDillon Tate of theBaltimore Orioles.[16] On September 22, Donovan recorded the 100th hit of his career with a grand slam off ofNick Martinez of theSan Diego Padres.[17] The Cardinals went on to win the game 5–4.
Donovan finished his rookie season batting .281/.394/.379 with five home runs, 45 RBI, and 21 doubles over 126 games. Defensively, he played left field, right field, first base, second base, shortstop, and third base, and was named the first ever recipient of the National LeagueGold Glove Award for a utility player.[18] He was named a finalist for theNational League Rookie of the Year Award, alongsideMichael Harris II andSpencer Strider.[19] He finished in third place as Harris won the award.[20]
In 2023, Donovan played in 95 contests for the Cardinals. In 327 at bats, he batted .281/.362/.419 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI. On August 2, 2023, it was announced that Donovan would undergo season–ending surgery to repair a flexor tendon injury in his throwing arm.[21]
In 2024, Donovan batted .278/.342/.417 with 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 153 games. That offseason, Donovan went to salary arbitration with the Cardinals in his first year of eligibility. Donovan filed at $3.3 million with the Cardinals offering $2.85 million. Donovan lost his arbitration case.[22]
Donovan would go on to make his first career appearance in the MLB All-Star Game in 2025.[23] He went 2-for-3 with two singles during the game, which the National League won following the first ever home run swing-off. In 118 appearances for St. Louis on the year, Donovan slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI. On October 7, he underwent surgery to repair asports hernia.[24]
Donovan was born inWürzburg, Germany, when his father was stationed overseas, and represented theGermany national baseball team in the2023 World Baseball Classic qualification.[25] He married his wife Aly in 2022 and the couple welcomed a daughter in March 2024.[26] Donovan is aChristian.[27]