One of baseball’s breakout young stars in 2022 returned to Springfield on Thursday night and humbly talked about a journey that has turned to gold.
Brendan Donovan, who spent 50 games playing for the Springfield Cardinals in 2021, was a key contributor to the St. Louis Cardinals’ National League Central division title this year as he played six different positions.
The 25-year-old Donovan finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting and earned the first NL Rawlings Gold Glove for utility players for his overall defensive excellence.
Donovan played 38 games at second base, 37 in the outfield, 31 at third, 16 at shortstop and seven at first. He became the first Cardinals’ rookie to win a Gold Glove.
A natural second baseman, you won’t get Donovan to pick a favorite position. Don’t call him a second baseman
Just call him a ballplayer.
“I always say the one I’m playing that day because it means I’m in the lineup,” Donovan said before appearing as the featured guest at Missouri State’s Step Up To the Plate fundraiser for its baseball program, at Barley House at Moon Town Crossing.
Donovan doesn't mind bouncing around
Donovan takes four gloves to the ballpark. Five if you include a catcher’s mitt that he hasn’t used in a game. Yet.
“I have an outfielder’s glove, first base mitt, middle infielder glove and third base glove,” he said. “I also have a catcher’s mitt that I screw around with, but hopefully that never happens.”
If Donovan spends his entire career without a regular position, he’s good with it.
“I think every team needs one guy who can play multiple positions to give guys a day off and give the manager flexibility in writing out the lineup,” he said. “Selfishly, it keeps me in the lineup so I think I’ll keep bouncing around and I’ll be good with it.”
Playing multiple positions began in Springfield after his promotion in the summer of 2021 from High-A Peoria. He had started to work out some in the outfield at Peoria, where current Missouri State assistant coach Joey Hawkins was a coach at the time.
Upon arriving with the Springfield Cardinals, he was asked to play third base and soon thereafter left field. The super-utility role was born and Donovan’s career has flourished. He played at all three minor-league levels in 2021, made his debut in St. Louis last April 25 and hasn’t looked back.
In 126 games with the Cardinals, Donovan hit .281 with 21 doubles, five home runs, 45 RBIs and a .394 on-base percentage. He became a regular name in manager Oliver Marmol’s lineup.
Donovan credits MSU's Hawkins for his success
Hawkins, ironically, took the job as associate head coach at Missouri State the same week that Donovan was assigned to Springfield. Donovan credits Hawkins for playing a major role in his success, particularly offensively. The relationship dates to the spring of 2020, just before baseball shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Hawkins worked with him at an instructional camp in Jupiter, Florida.
“He’s been super important in the development of my career,” Donovan said of Hawkins, adding that Hawkins remains a phone call away when he has a question about his swing. “He’s a wealth of knowledge and an amazing person and amazing coach.”
Donovan even spoke about a quick trip to Springfield during the 2022 major league all-star break for a quick tune-up session at Hammons Field with Hawkins.
“It’s about consistency. The season beats on you,” Donovan said. “You want to get in a position to be as repeatable as possible. With Joey, it’s so simple and he knows me and knows how to lock me back in.”
Hawkins sees a ‘high ceiling' for Donovan
Hawkins, who played at Missouri State from 2012-15 before a brief professional career as an infielder in the Cardinals organization, said he could tell early on that Donovan had certain intangibles to be successful.
“He’s an elite worker, very detailed and very committed,” Hawkins said. “When you get to that level everyone is good and you have to find a way to separate yourself. On the field, he was never scared of anything and just had some elite bat-to-ball skills and was very good at managing the strike zone.
“Any time you have that skill-set offensively, there’s typically a pretty high ceiling for players.”
As Missouri State’s recruiting coordinator, Hawkins is able to talk about his relationship with Donovan to prospective recruits and that is a pretty powerful tool.
“In recruiting you have to show guys a vision and how you’re going to make them better and that’s something you have to do in professional baseball in order to gain trust from players like Brendan,” Hawkins said.
Donovan ready for more in 2023
Donovan said his best advice to Missouri State’s players is to hone in on what you do well and perfect it.
“The biggest thing is figure out what type of player you are,” he said. “I think we all go through spells where we try to be something that we’re not. Find out what type of player you are and polish that game. And play hard.”
It’s a formula that has been pure gold for Donovan. After a division-series playoff loss to the Phillies, he’s ready for more in 2023.
“Obviously, it left a bitter taste in my mouth the way it ended, but it gives you fire for the offseason,” he said. “We’ve been working to get ready for spring training.”
