Cardinals Have 'Strong Belief' They Found Everyday Starter

The St. Louis Cardinals are loaded at catcher heading into the 2026 season.

Iván Herrera is working his way back after not being able to play the position much in 2025 due to injuries. He underwent surgery and is expected to be an option behind the plate once again in 2026. Beyond Herrera, the Cardinals still have veteran options in the organization in Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. Also, the Cardinals have rookie Jimmy Crooks, who had a 15-game cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2025.

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St. Louis also has No. 3 prospect Rainiel Rodriguez and No. 4 prospect Leonardo Bernal, although it would be a surprise to see either get a big league shot early in 2026.

What will the Cardinals do at catcher?

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

Of the group, Crooks is going to be very interesting to follow in 2026. He's St. Louis' No. 6 prospect and with all of the talent at the position, the Cardinals will have to determine which of the group to keep in the long run. Could Crooks be that guy? MLB.com's John Denton at least called him the team's biggest bounce-back candidate.

"Cardinals: C Jimmy Crooks III," Denton wrote. "As is often the case with highly touted rookies who get promoted to the big leagues in the middle of a season, Crooks -- the Cards’ No. 6-ranked prospect -- struggled mightily in 15 MLB games in 2025. However, the Cardinals love his poise combined with his exceptional defensive skills.

"In 15 games, Crooks went just 6-for-45 (.133) and his first MLB hit was a homer on Aug. 31. He showed off a big-time arm in the Minor Leagues and he impressed the Cards with his command of scouting reports and handling pitchers. The strong belief among the coaching staff is that he can be the club’s everyday catcher."

Crooks should get playing time in 2026 and the fact that Denton specifically said there is a "strong belief" that he could be the team's everyday option is interesting. A combination of him and Herrera with Pagés sprinkled in should be the way forward. In 2025, Crooks slashed .274/.337/.441 with 14 homers, 79 RBIs, and 21 doubles in 98 games with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He has big upside and the Cardinals need to see what they have in him.

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