The St. Louis Cardinals have been searching for a long-term answer at catcher since legend Yadier Molina retired.
Many thought that Iván Herrera could be that long-term answer. However, Herrera has played most of his games this year as DH, raising concerns about who will be Molina’s successor.
The Cardinals will call up catching prospect Leo Bernal from Triple-A on Tuesday prior to their game with the Dodgers, according to MLB insider Francys Romero.
Bernal is already on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be needed when rosters expand on Tuesday. However, Bernal will be the fourth catcher on the roster.
Who Is St. Louis Cardinals Catcher Leo Bernal?
The Cardinals signed Bernal as an international free agent in 2021 out of Panama. He has been steadily climbing up the minor leagues since.
After a 2025 season in Double-A, slashing .247/.332/.394 with 13 home runs, the Cardinals protected him in the Rule 5 Draft with a 40-man roster spot in November.
He is currently the Cardinals’ No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and earns his best grades for his defense and arm. Bernal threw out 39.1% of runners last season in Double-A, an astounding number for any catcher these days. For his defensive performance, he won a Minor League Gold Glove award.
Bernal is a switch-hitter with some interesting splits. He shows better bat-to-ball skills as a lefty, but has more power from the right side. Advanced metrics say he could be solid with the hit tool but will be more known for his defense.
In Triple-A this year, he has slashed a career-high .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs in 101 games, earning his promotion.
He has No. 1 catcher upside; it’s just a matter of how much playing time he will get early on.
Who Will Stand in Bernal’s Way for Playing Time?
While Bernal could very well be the long-awaited successor to Molina, he has some challengers for the throne.
As mentioned before, while Herrera was an All-Star this year, he has spent the majority of the season as the Cardinals’ DH.
Amid Herrera’s positional change, Pedro Pagés has assumed catching duties. While Pagés’ fielding has been above-average, his bat has been underwhelming. In 74 games, Pagés is slashing .209/.260/.311 with four home runs.
In the short term, Bernal may lose at-bats to Pagés. However, in the long term, Pagés likely will not be in the running for catcher of the future.
Backup catcher Jimmy Crooks hasn’t been any better. In 52 games, the former fourth-round pick is slashing .179/.255/.336 with five home runs. The Cardinals could send down Crooks to Triple-A with Bernal’s promotion.
However, waiting in the wings is the best catching prospect in baseball, Rainiel Rodriguez. The 19-year-old is already in Double-A and mashing the baseball, with 24 home runs in 105 games. His power tool is one of the best in baseball at 65. Rodriguez is the No. 18 prospect in all of baseball per MLB Pipeline, but still has a ways to go before he makes it to the major leagues.
Bernal will have an early chance to show off his talent before Rodriguez gets to the majors. But in due time, the Cardinals could have one of the best backstop tandems in baseball.