Brendan Donovan's All-Star nod was much deserved. He has been the best player for the St. Louis Cardinals through the first half of the year with a .297/.367/.430 slash line to go along with eight home runs, 51 runs scored, and 36 runs batted in. Donovan ranks second among all National League second baseman with 2.5 fWAR on the year. His first appearance at the All-Star Game is much deserved.
Donovan has been endearing himself to the St. Louis Cardinal faithful since his debut in 2022. He's grown as a leader in the clubhouse, and he's taken the unofficial "captain" tag this year with veterans like Paul Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright no longer in the clubhouse.