Since the retirement of Yadier Molina, the Cardinals’ catching position has struggled. The position has been a revolving door for the organization for the last few seasons. The Cardinals have had 6 different catchers since Yadi retired in 2022. Throughout the “Molina Era”, teams did not dare to try to steal bases. Yadi had a 40.3 caught stealing percentage compared to the 28.0 percentage MLB average. During that time frame, teams had 1,370 steal attempts against the Cardinals, compared to the 2,146 attempts against the rest of the league. And the most impressive stat is that the Cardinals allowed only 887 stolen bases during that time, compared to all other clubs, which gave up 1,500+. Turning the page to 2026, Yadi is involved in the new front office. With the talent that the Cardinals have at the position now, the future is bright at the backstop for the Cards.
The Future is Bright With the Cardinals’ Young Catching Core
Down on the Farm:
The Cardinals’ farm system took a massive jump this offseason. Whether it was by trade or development, the Cards’ farm system went from 19th to 2nd within a couple of months. They are now only behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who rank number 1. A big part of this recent jump is the Cardinals having 2 catchers in the Top 100 Prospects list. Those 2 catchers on the list are 19-year-old Rainiel Rodriguez (#37) and 22-year-old Leonardo Bernal (#98). They also have 24-year-old Jimmy Crooks, who ranks 7th in the Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospect List.
Rainiel Rodriguez
Rodriguez signed with the Cardinals in April of 2024. The 19-year-old backstop hasn’t seen any level above High-A, but is regarded as the “creme of the crop” for Cardinals’ catchers. He is the #3 overall prospect in the organization and is well deserving of the spot. He is well known for his bat, as Rodriguez has career stats of a .298 AVG, .420 OBP, .596 SLG, and a 1.016 SLG. The right-handed hitting Rodriguez also hit 30 home runs and had 101 RBIs across 2 seasons in the Cardinals organization. His glove is still a work in progress, but he did throw out 32.4% of baserunners last season. The Cardinals hope that the addition of Molina will help develop Rodriguezs’ defensive skills.
Leonardo Bernal
Bernal signed with the Cardinals in January of 2021. The switch-hitting catcher spent last season in AA. In that season, Bernal hit .247, with a .332 OBP, a .394 SLG, and a .726 OPS. He also had 13 home runs and 70 RBIs. Bernal is more known for his defense rather than his offense. He threw out more than 40% of baserunners at the AA level and is currently on the Cardinals 40 man roster. The Cards could see Bernal as a potential big leaguer by season’s end, but fans should expect him to start the year at AAA.
Jimmy Crooks
Crooks was drafted in the 4th round in 2022 by the Cardinals. Crooks started last season at AAA, where he hit .274, with a .337 OBP, a .441 SLG, and a .778 OPS. He also hit 14 home runs and had 79 RBIs at the AAA level last season. Crooks eventually got the call-up to St. Louis last season. At the MLB level, Crooks had a .133 AVG, .152 OBP, .244 SLG, and . 396 OPS. He did have 1 home run and 1 RBI at the MLB level as well. Crooks is said to be an above-average defender with high potential at the plate. With the Cardinals rumored to be carrying 3 catchers with MLB experience going into the 2026 season, it is unclear where Crooks fits into the equation.
Big League Options
As stated before, the Cardinals are rumored to be carrying 3 catchers on the MLB roster going into the 2026 season. That includes Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and Yohel Pozo. All three of these guys have significant Major League experience. So it is not a surprise that the Cardinals will want to carry them on the roster.
Ivan Herrera
Herrea was set to be the heir apparent to Molina once he retired. Herrera had a breakout season in 2025. He had a .284 AVG, a .373 OBP, a .464 SLG, and a .837 OPS. He also hit 24 home runs and had 98 RBIs. Herrera’s bat is definitely his strength. The question marks surrounding him are his defense and ability to stay healthy. His defense could definitely profit from Molina’s presence in the organization. But the best ability is availability. The Cardinals want Herrera to be the catcher of the future, but with his health status, they are unsure of his ability to stay behind the plate. He is set to be the main option behind the plate going into the season.
Pedro Pages
Pages has been a suitable backup to Herrera. His offensive numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet. Hitting only .230, with a .272 OBP, a .363 SLG, and a .635 OPS. He also had 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 2025. His numbers are solid for a backup catcher, but where Pages thrives is his defense. Pages is reported to handle the pitching staff very well and threw out 28% of baserunners. Pages isn’t the long-term answer for the Cardinals behind the plate, but is definitely a viable option to be a solid backup for them in 206.
Yohel Pozo
Pozo is an interesting case when it comes to the Cardinals’ catchers. He was mainly used as a pinch hitter in 2025. Pozo hit .231, with a .262 OBP, a .376 SLG, and a .654 OPS. He also had 5 home runs and 19 RBIs in 2025. It is likely that the Cardinals still will use Pozo in the pinch-hitting role in 2026, as that’s the role in which he thrived the most. He threw out 15% of baserunners last season, which isn’t a lot, but it could be due to the lack of time spent behind the plate last season. Pozo has put in the work this offseason to reach best potential in 2026. He will still likely see the least amount of time behind the plate out of the 3 catchers, but still will have an important role with the team.
Captaining the Ship
The Cardinals’ catchers will be tasked with the most important job this season. And that is being able to control the Cardinals’ young pitching staff. Whether it’s the 3 guys who are expected to be on the MLB roster, or a mixture of the 6, they will be the backbone of the team. The Cardinals haven’t had this much hype around the catching position since Molina was on the team. Now, with the young talent down in the Minor Leagues, combined with what Ivan Herrera brings to the table, the young catching core has grabbed the attention of the MLB world once again.
(Top Image Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images)