Why Will Leo Bernal Be Successful With Cardinals? Just Look at Dodgers Series

The St. Louis Cardinals have a potential star on their hands in young catcher Leo Bernal.

Sep 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal (13) hits a 2 run home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals made a big change throughout the week by promoting No. 7 overall prospect Leo Bernal to the majors and it has already had a positive impact on the club.

Bernal is a stud. There's no denying that fact. This is a guy who won the 2025 MiLB Gold Glove Award behind the plate. That means he was viewed as the best overall defensive catcher in the minors that year. He's been equally as good this season and his bat has reached a new level.

Before his promotion, Bernal was slashing .278/.363/.468 with 16 homers and 77 RBIs in 101 games in Triple-A. Before that, he had never finished a season with a batting average above .262, or more than 13 home runs and 70 RBIs. He took his game to another level and was rewarded with his promotion to the majors.

Leo Bernal Has Star Potential

Sep 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal (13) acknowledges the dugout near first base coach Stubby Clapp (82) after hitting a one run RBI single against Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (not pictured) during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He's going to have success in St. Louis. Now, of course, it's hard to predict how a prospect is going to pan out in the long run. There are guys who are former first-round picks who never find their footing in the majors. There are also plenty of stories out there of guys who didn't get drafted becoming stars. It's unpredictable. But Bernal has the tools to help this club for a long time.

Just look at the three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. You'll see why.

He made his big league debut on Tuesday and got the start behind the plate. He looked good back and also went 1-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. On Wednesday, he was the Cardinals' designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. On Thursday, he got time at first base and behind the plate and went 2-for-4.

He's not one-dimensional. Again, this guy is elite defensively behind the plate. The Cardinals could roll him out at catcher every day and be comfortable knowing that they already have an above-average defensive player back there. But he expanded his game and can also fill in at first base when needed. And then, of course, he could DH. He faced the two-time reigning champs in his first series in the majors and went 4-for-13 with a homer and four RBIs.

Bernal is just 22 years old and already looks advanced in his first series in the majors. If you're a Cardinals fan, you should be excited. There will surely be growing pains at times, but again, even if his bat struggles, he can impact a game defensively better than most at his position. He's going to help this team, without a doubt.