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Utility Player's Versatility Allowed him to Prove Worth to Cardinals
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- Utility Player's Versatility Allowed him to Prove Worth to Cardinals
(Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
Late in the MLB season, when the St. Louis Cardinals were trailing the San Francisco Giants in a lopsided game and it appeared things might get even uglier, utility standout José Fermín playfully started loosening up his right arm for what he hoped would be the first relief pitching appearance.
Fermín, who has worked for years with Cardinals Hall of Famer Jose Oquendo to expand his defensive versatility, and he is well aware that famed "The Secret Weapon" played all nine positions in the 1988 season. That's something Fermin secretly wants to do someday, and he would have loved getting a shot to show off his stuff from the mound.
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"When it got to like by like (seven) runs, it was like the seventh inning and I knew that if the game stayed like that, they were probably going to use a position player to pitch," Fermín said excitedly. "I looked over at (bench coach Daniel Descalso) and I was like stretching my arm, and giving them the sign that I was ready to go in. He's like, 'No, it's not happening!' I was like, "Dang, I'd love to do it at least once."
While Fermín didn't get the chance to pitch in 2026, he did get the chance to show that he can be an every-day MLB player and extremely valuable to a team. Because of his positional versatility, grit at the plate and indefatigable spirit as a teammate, the 27-year-old Fermín proved himself to be an indispensable piece of the Cardinals.
Not only did Fermín play in 118 games, but he split time in left field (46 games), third base (35 games), center field (30 games), second base (21 games), shortstop (five games), designated hitter (two games), right field (one game) and first base (one game). He did all of that while committing just three errors and keeping three gloves nearby on the bench at all times. The 118 games of action were 22 more than he played at the big-league level in the previous three seasons combined, and they allowed him to show the many ways he can help teams.
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"It was so cool because this year I got the opportunity to be in the big leagues the whole year and getting the opportunity to play more often," Fermín said. "I always had the confidence that I could do it and it was just a matter of the opportunity. I'm just really grateful for getting the chances and being able to show what I can do."
One thing that Fermin showed that he can do is cause headaches for opposing pitchers by getting his bat to balls and stay live in at bats. His whiff rate of just 13.9 percent was in MLB's 96th percentile, while his strikeout rate of 13.5 percent was in the 91st percentile, per MLB Savant. He also showed incredible discipline and patience at the plate by chasing pitches out of the strike zone just 22.1 percent of the time – also ranking in MLB's top 91st percentile.
He had 17 doubles, six homers and 41 RBI – all career highs – while striking out just 50 times in 370 plate appearances. And Fermín saved most of his best work for clutch situations. In games that were considered to be "late and close" – after the seventh inning and within three runs – Fermín hit .345 with four doubles and eight RBI.
Also, he proved himself to be plenty prepared with his six pinch hits – twice as many as anyone else on the Cardinals and tied for the 12th most in MLB.
While it might be natural to wonder if he could plug the Cardinals' hole at third base in 2027, manager Oliver Marmol said he considers Fermín's biggest strength to be his ability to bounce from position to position when needed.
"He just brings so much value to a team with his versatility," Marmol said. "That's a great value, being able to play so many positions."
