Cardinals Position Battle Heating Up; Anybody Could Win Starting Job

The Cardinals have a very intriguing position battle going on for the starting catcher role...

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals great Yadier Molina (left) talks with catcher Pedro Pages (43) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of a rebuild, which isn't the most exciting thing in the world for Cardinals fans, but it does create some interesting storylines.

The Cardinals have position battles all over the field. In fact, there are very few spots seemingly locked down at this point. Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn seemingly have their spots at first base and shortstop respectively. Iván Herrera will be in the lineup one way or another. But other than that, there are a lot of position battles.

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MLB.com's Will Leitch recently highlighted the Cardinals catching battle as a position battle to watch this spring, noting that Pedro Pagés seems to be the opening day starter, but that anything could change in the coming weeks.

Cardinals starting catcher slot is anybody's job for the taking

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) fields a ball during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals, organizationally, are stacked with catchers," Leitch wrote. "They currently have five on the 40-man roster -- Herrera, Pedro Pagés, Yohel Pozo, Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal -- and that doesn’t even count No. 37 overall prospect Rainiel Rodriguez, who could be starting for this team by 2028. But how will they be deployed?

"The pitching staff has always loved Pagés, but his bat lags well behind his glove and he’s older than most of the roster; he looks like a better fit as a backup. Pozo lost weight in the offseason and had some offensive flashes last year, but he is actually the oldest position player on the roster, if you can believe that."

The Cardinals are loaded with catching talent. Fortunately for them, it seems like Herrera will stick at designated hitter, which leaves Pagés as the favorite to take the starting job.

Still, Yohel Pozo has looked very good over the last eight months. He flashed some big time offensive talent, especially in clutch moments, down the stretch.

Prospects Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal are also banging on the door of a big league call up. Both have the potential to be a starting catcher of the future. That doesn't even mention Rainiel Rodrguez, who has the highest potential of anybody mentioned aside from Herrera.

At this point, it seems like it's going to be Pagés and Pozo, but the prospects could change that idea drastically with dominant spring training performances.

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