The season is young, but the St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the hottest-hitting teams in the major leagues. A big reason for that has been second baseman Brendan Donovan, who is hitting .380 entering Thursday, which ranks third in MLB. In 71 at-bats, he’s collected 27 hits with two home runs, 11 runs batted in and two stolen bases.

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The Cardinals are in the MLB’s top five in hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging percentage, and they lead the majors in batting average. Donovan, who is hitting in the No. 3 hole for the Cardinals, extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a hit in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Houston Astros. He enjoyed a four-hit game on Monday.

Donnie Donnie Donnie pic.twitter.com/vu6EFfbxni

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 15, 2025

“Every day is so different up here,” Donovan told reporters following Wednesday’s game. “Everyone is trying to attack you so many different ways. Your body feels different each and every day. But, for me, I think my routine has been pretty consistent. I think the recovery aspect is something that I’m leaning more into as of this past year.”

Donovan had surgery in August 2024 to repair a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, which he credited for a renewed focus on daily recovery in an effort to stay as sharp as possible. He’s begun to focus even more heavily on his preparation as well, he said.

Teammate Lars Nootbaar, who has also enjoyed a strong start to the 2025 campaign, credited new Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown for implementing new approaches this season that have paid immediate dividends. One of those new tactics is for hitters to be more aggressive when they’re ahead in counts.

“The pressure’s on them, right?” Donovan said, referring to opposing pitchers. “I think we’ve done a good job making them come into our zone of, ‘What am I looking for? Where do I want it? And where do I want to hit it?'”

Donovan made his major league debut in 2022 and immediately made an impact, winning a Gold Glove Award as a utility player and finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year race. Now with a career .286 batting average, Donovan has cemented himself as one of the most consistent players in the majors on both offense and defense.

He’s also been consistent in speaking publicly about his faith in Jesus and has credited his regular attendance at team chapel gatherings for helping him stay focused on his faith during the busy season, which often includes day games scheduled on Sundays, making it difficult for players to attend church.

“I think baseball actually does an amazing job. We do chapels in the dugout on Sundays,” he said in February on the “Dealin’ the Cards” podcast. “Last year we tried to go through the whole Bible. I think it’s pretty cool because not only does it bring you closer to your teammates, but it’s the most important thing you can do. It’s your framework or your guideline for how we’re supposed to live.”

Donovan was also a part of Christian Day at the Ballpark in July 2022, where he shared about the influence guys like former teammate Paul Goldschmidt and other veterans had on him during his rookie season. Donovan showed up to chapel shortly after he arrived in St. Louis and Goldschmidt immediately added him to their group text message thread.

That helped the rookie feel welcomed and encouraged right away, especially when it came to his faith.

“Going through the Word, going through chapels on the road, having our own Bible studies, it was immediate,” Donovan said during Christian Day. “The minute I got here, they pulled me in, and I’ve just been hooked since. To have those mentors out on the field and in the clubhouse that have great faith is just truly a blessing.”

Playing for an organization like the Cardinals, where winning is expected, can bring a lot of pressure, especially from a restless fanbase eager to see the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2023. But Donovan has maintained that regardless of the pressure or platform he might receive as part of playing for the Cardinals, he intends to steward his position well.

“All of us are given these blessings and this platform to show faith, to show what kind of people we are and how we can impact others,” Donovan said during Christian Day in 2022. “To have success out here, we get to use that platform and we get to promote our faith. Obviously, we want to have success out here, but people remember you for what kind of person you are, so that’s how I try to view it.”

St. Louis opens a four-game series against the Mets in New York on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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