A Wealth of Riches Behind the Plate - Bernal & Crooks

The Cardinal Chronicle
A Wealth of Riches Behind the Plate
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

There are organizations searching for catching. And then there are the St. Louis Cardinals, quietly sitting on a surplus.

At Triple-A Memphis, two names are beginning to define that reality — Leonardo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks — a pairing that, depending on how you look at it, represents either a luxury… or a future decision waiting to be made.

Both are sharing time behind the plate. Both are on the radar. But they are not the same story.

Crooks is the now.

Bernal is the next.

Jimmy Crooks has already knocked on the big-league door. He made his debut late in 2025, and while the results at the plate didn’t carry over in that short stint, the organization didn’t blink. They sent him back to Memphis, and he’s done exactly what you want a depth catcher to do — respond.

Early returns in 2026 have been loud. A 4-for-4 night. Power showing up. Confidence at the plate. This is a player who understands his role — stay ready, stay productive, and force the conversation if the opportunity comes.

Right now, he’s the first phone call if something happens in St. Louis.

Then there’s Leonardo Bernal.

Younger. More raw. More ceiling.

And maybe the most complete defensive catcher in the system.

A Minor League Gold Glove winner in 2025, Bernal’s reputation is built on what he does behind the plate — receiving, framing, controlling the game. The bat is still developing, but there’s reason to believe it’s coming. He’s a switch-hitter, and that alone gives him a different kind of value long-term.

The Cardinals aren’t rushing him. They’re letting him breathe at Triple-A, letting him learn, letting him fail a little, and adjust.

That’s how you build a catcher.

That’s how you build a career.

Right now, Bernal is sharing time with Crooks, and in a lot of organizations, that would create tension. Here, it creates depth.

And depth at catcher is something you don’t take for granted.

At the major league level, Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés hold the job. Behind them, Crooks is ready. Behind him, Bernal is coming.

That’s not just organizational strength — that’s insulation.

The kind of insulation that protects you over a 162-game season.

The kind that allows patience.

The kind that turns a position of concern into one of quiet confidence.

There’s no rush to separate Bernal from Crooks today. There doesn’t need to be.

Because for now, the Cardinals are in a good place.

Two catchers. Two timelines. One position that suddenly feels secure.

And in this game, that’s about as valuable as it gets.

 
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