The St. Louis Cardinals are deep into a major rebuilding phase, highlighted by six significant trades over the past year. While the process appears to be moving in a positive direction, it could also mean a last-place finish in the NL Central this season.
For the Cardinals to realistically return to World Series contention in the coming years, their top prospects will have to develop successfully. Although their farm system isn’t considered the strongest in baseball, it is well stocked with talent—much of which is expected to reach the majors in the near future.
Just Baseball’s Adam Akbani recently shared a lot of high praise for Cardinals catching prospect Leonardo Bernal. Akbani suggested the Cardinals could use Bernal in the big leagues at some point this season.
Leonardo Bernal has star potential written all over him
“The signature trait of the Cardinals’ player development team is their ability to produce countless top-tier catching prospects,” Akbani wrote. “Leonardo Bernal is no exception, with the Panamanian product slowly but surely ascending through the minor leagues while flashing average to above-average tools across the board.
“The 2025 season was a tale of two halves for Leo. He registered an impressive 135 wRC+ through 6/30, but a putrid 68 wRC+ from July 1st to the end of the season. He’s always been a solid hitter at the plate, registering a 79.4 contact% this past season at Springfield, suggesting a Z-Contact% somewhere in the low-mid 80s.”
The Cardinals have a lot of talented catchers in their system. Bernal has the potential to be a star, which means he might be the next catching prospect to make his way to the big leagues.
With Iván Herrera likely slotting in at the designated hitter spot more than anything, the Cardinals could look to carry three catchers. If Bernal can get off to a hot start at the Triple-A level, he could be an early call up for the Cardinals. Bernal is a good defensive catcher, but he’s going to have to battle other top catching prospects to get to the big leagues.
