Cardinals 24-Year-Old Catcher Has Bright Future in St. Louis

The Cardinals have a lot of catching depth in their minor league system...

Sep 8, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) bumps fists with catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) following the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding as aggressively as any team in the league right now. They've swung a slew of trades over the last year to bolster up their farm system, but it's destroyed their big-league roster.

With that in mind, the Cardinals are heading for a rebuilding year in 2026. This puts a lot of pressure on the team's top prospects to get to St. Louis and perform. There are bound to be plenty of opportunities for the Cardinals' best young players, but only the ones who thrive will earn playing time.

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Just Baseball's Adam Akbani recently shared some high praise for Cardinals catching prospect Jimmy Crooks, going as far as suggesting Crooks could have an impact on the big-league club this season.

Jimmy Crooks could make an impact in St. Louis

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) stands at bat against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"Another intriguing backstop, Jimmy Crooks is ahead of Bernal in the pecking order, given that he’s already had a taste of big-league action," Akbani wrote. "After struggling to begin 2025, he surged in the second half, mustering a 129 wRC+ over his final 136 PAs. Crook’s offensive game currently lags behind his defense, showing poor plate discipline amid average contact and power.

"Behind the dish, he showcases an impressive throwing arm, nabbing 29.4% of baserunners at Memphis. Jimmy’s also an above-average framer and blocker, and has been lauded at every level for effortlessly shepherding his pitching staffs. He currently profiles as an average starter and looks like an outstanding backup at worst."

Crooks is one of the better catching prospects in baseball, but he plays in an organization that has multiple top catching prospects. Still, Crooks has a good chance to stick at the position long term because of his defense.

He might be the Cardinals' third best catching prospect, but he might also be their best defensive backstop. If he can find a league average bat in his potential, there's not reason the Cardinals couldn't use him in the starting lineup while the other top catching prospects see more time at designated hitter.

It's too early to tell how this situation will shape up, but it's clear that Crooks has the potential to be a key piece of the Cardinals' future.

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