Recapping Jimmy Crooks' Loud 1st MLB Hit; Cardinals' Catching Situation

The St. Louis Cardinals called up one of their most exciting prospects on Friday.

With Yohel Pozo heading to the Injured List with a concussion, the Cardinals promoted No. 6 prospect Jimmy Crooks. After two games, he collected his first big league hit on Sunday and it certainly was a loud of.

Crooks' first appearance in the big leagues came as a late-game substitute on Friday. He didn't see action on Saturday and then got the start on Sunday. He started behind the plate for the Cardinals and ended up going 1-for-4 in his first big league start with a homer to right field.

Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks launched loud first MLB base hit

Aug 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) high fives relief pitcher Ryan Fernandez (64) after the victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

You can see a video of the blast below, as shared by the team.

First big league home run for Jimmy Crooks! 💥 pic.twitter.com/sG0xaKiGwY
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 31, 2025

Crooks stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning of Sunday's contest with the Cardinals staring at a two-run deficit. He changed that with one swing of the bat to bring St. Louis within one run. St. Louis wasn't able to capitalize from there, though, and ended up losing the game, 7-4.

Crooks will be someone to watch very closely if he sticks around in the big leagues whenever Pozo is ready to return. Crooks is the team's No. 6 prospect and has a real shot at a significant role with the team next year. Before his promotion, Crooks was slashing .274/.337/.441 with 14 home runs, 79 RBIs, 21 doubles, and one triple with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 98 games played.

He has been with the team since being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cardinals out of the University of Oklahoma.

St. Louis' catching situation will be a topic to follow throughout the winter because right now the Cardinals have Pedro Pagés, Pozo, Crooks, and Iván Herrera all with the team. They are all under team control in 2026. Crooks is the No. 6 prospect and there are two more prospects ranked higher than him at catcher, but are further from the big leagues. Herrera hasn't played much catcher this year but it will be interesting to see if he goes back for 2026. Pagés and Pozo have both done good jobs in their roles this year. Who will be with the big league club next year?

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