Leo Bernal didn’t just arrive in St. Louis - he’s forcing the Cardinals to make room for him.
Less than two weeks into his major league career, the rookie catcher has already put together a start the club hasn’t seen in a long time. Bernal opened with 13 hits in his first 10 games, ran off a seven-game hitting streak, and drove in 12 runs. That RBI total is a franchise record for a Cardinals rookie through his first 10 games, and it stands as the most by any Cardinal in the first 10 games of a career since RBI became an official stat in 1920.
The Cardinals have also made their intentions clear behind the plate. Once September arrived and the club’s playoff hopes were gone, St.
Louis began using the rest of the season to give its prospects a real look in the majors. Bernal has been the clearest beneficiary of that shift.
Unlike the earlier setup with Jimmy Crooks, this has not been a rotating situation. Bernal has started six of the last seven games at catcher, while Ivan Herrera continues to get one day a week behind the plate and Pedro Pages has largely been pushed into a bench role.
That’s a strong signal for where this is headed. Bernal has been hitting in the middle of the order since his call-up, and the switch-hitter only helped his case further with a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth inning against the White Sox. It didn’t lead to a win - the Cardinals lost again because of another bullpen collapse - but the at-bat added to a start that has looked calm, confident, and built for more.
Crooks, by comparison, has already gotten time in parts of two MLB seasons and still hasn’t shown the same assurance Bernal has flashed in just two weeks. That’s part of why Bernal has gone from a name in the organization’s catching mix to the front-runner for the 2027 starting job.
The ripple effects could stretch beyond this season. Bernal’s rise has him looking more like a fixture than a placeholder, and that changes the Cardinals’ offseason math.
Crooks, Pages, and even Herrera could end up as trade possibilities if St. Louis decides to reshape its catching depth.
If the club keeps Pages as the backup next year, Crooks could be the more likely player to shop around, though the Cardinals could also choose to hold onto him because of the power he’s shown in the minors. Pages, on the other hand, would not carry much trade value.
Herrera has stayed healthy all season and got his shot to secure the job, but the source of concern remains the arm strength, which could eventually push him out of the gear permanently. And if Bernal keeps this pace going into next year, it could even affect Rainiel Rodriguez’s path. The 19-year-old is still crushing baseballs and holding his own defensively, but a position change could be on the table if Bernal keeps locking down the catcher spot.
For now, though, Bernal has done the most important thing a young player can do: make the Cardinals trust him. With that happening, Chaim Bloom can shift more attention to the other holes on the roster, especially third base, the bullpen, and possibly center field.
In Other News...
Joey Votto Just Reopened A Cardinals-Reds Yadier Molina Debate
The Cardinals Hall of Fame celebration on Sept. 12 was supposed to be about honoring Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and John Sherdel, and in many ways it was. But Joey Vottos public reflections added an extra layer to the occasion, especially the way he singled out Pujols as the most iconic player he faced while also giving Molina his due. For a St. Louis audience, that matters because Votto spent so many years on the other side of one of baseballs sharpest rivalries, and his perspective carries a little more weight than the usual post-retirement praise.
Molina, of course, has never been a simple figure in Cincinnati, where his battles with the Reds were often as emotional as they were competitive. Even so, Vottos respect for him is a reminder of how widely Molinas reputation travels beyond the fan friction he created in the NL Central. Players and analysts alike have long pointed to his defense and game-calling as defining traits, and for many around the game he remains in the conversation with the best catchers ever, which is why even a familiar rivalry can still reopen an old debate. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Wetherholt Is Pushing For A Cardinals Return Sooner Than Expected
JJ Wetherholt has been on the sideline since Aug. 29 because of wrist tendinitis, but the rookie is already making a push to get back sooner than it might have seemed when the injury first hit. With the Cardinals in the middle of a nine-game home stand that runs through Sept. 20, there is at least a workable window for him to ramp up without having to leave town and reset elsewhere.
Wetherholt does not expect to go on a minor league rehab assignment, which makes the next few days especially important as he continues his workouts. If everything responds well, the Cardinals could be looking at a return to the active roster before the homestand is over, a boost that would matter both for the stretch run and for a young player trying to finish his first season on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Are Running Out Of Patience With Riley O'Brien
Riley OBriens recent stretch has only added to the frustration around a Cardinals bullpen that has too often put the club in a tough spot. The relief corps has been a clear weak point for St. Louis, and with the team sitting 7 1/2 games back in the National League wild card race, every late-game slip feels heavier as the calendar turns toward the offseason.
OBriens second-half decline has become especially hard to ignore, with his season line now sitting at a 4.20 ERA and a 3-8 record. For a Cardinals team trying to keep any postseason hope alive, the issue is less about one bad night than the accumulation of them, and it leaves the front office facing a familiar problem that will need real attention once the winter arrives. [Read more 🡒]