Jimmy Crooks

The Cardinal Chronicle
Jimmy Crooks Named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Week
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some weeks in the minor leagues, the choice for Player of the Week is a tangled puzzle, with several prospects stringing together highlight-reel performances and filling up the box scores. The Memphis Redbirds, in particular, have seen their share of breakout efforts lately, making the decision a true evaluation of every at-bat, every inning, and every clutch moment.

This was not one of those weeks.

Jimmy Crooks is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Cardinals Minor League Player of the Week, earning the honor after a dynamic stretch at Triple-A Memphis. The 23-year-old catcher has become a force in the heart of the Redbirds’ lineup, his left-handed swing producing ringing line drives and deep home runs that have energized both teammates and fans at AutoZone Park.

Crooks capped off the weekend with a milestone — his 10th home run of the season, a towering solo shot deep into the right-field bleachers on Sunday against Indianapolis. It marked his second long ball in as many games, a testament to his growing confidence and refined approach at the plate. In a league where pitching is sharper and mistakes are fewer, Crooks’ ability to deliver consistent power is turning heads and putting him firmly on the radar for a future call-up to St. Louis.

The Cardinals’ farm system featured a barrage of offensive highlights over the last seven days. In Memphis, slugging infielder Ramon Mendoza, emerging prospect Blaze Jordan, and outfielder Joshua Báez all pieced together standout games, flashing their tools and adding intrigue to the club’s depth chart. Yet Crooks separated himself from the pack with a rare blend of power, plate discipline, and clutch hitting, impacting games both offensively and behind the dish.

That is what earns weekly recognition.

Crooks has not simply been collecting hits; he has been altering the course of games. His knack for driving the baseball into the gaps and over the fences has transformed Memphis’ lineup into a more dangerous unit. Week after week, his home run pace has become a focal point among Cardinals’ player development staff, with coaches lauding his improved pitch recognition and willingness to work deep counts.

For a catcher, that kind of offensive profile demands attention. Catching is a demanding position, prized for defense and leadership, but when a backstop starts slugging at this level, the conversation shifts. Crooks is making a case to be more than just organizational depth — his season so far is forcing scouts and executives to consider him as a legitimate future contributor in St. Louis.

The weekly honor goes to the player who did the most to separate himself, and Crooks did that.

He provided power. He provided run production. He gave Memphis a steady presence in the lineup. And by the end of the week, he had reached double digits in home runs before the calendar had done much more than settle into May.

That will get a man noticed.

The Cardinal Chronical, in association with Gateway Sports