5 position battles to watch in spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals

Catcher - Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages

Players to watch - Jimmy Crooks III and Leonardo Bernal

Let me preface this battle by saying that I strongly believe Ivan Herrera should be the club's starting catcher next year. He has more upside, he was a better prospect, and his offensive ceiling solves one of the club's weakest areas from last year.

Both Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages will be given plenty of chances to prove their value this spring. For Pages, the organization will be eyeing his offensive improvements along with his aptitude to control a pitching staff. For Herrera, improvements on the defensive side of the game must improve, particularly when it comes to throwing out runners.

Last year, Ivan Herrera led the team with a .301 batting average. His strikeout rate, walk rate, chase rate, hard-hit percentage, and bat speed were all above average, and he hit five home runs in only 229 at-bats. Herrera was a key part of an otherwise anemic offense last year, and if the Cardinals want some improvements on that side of the game, they should start Herrera.

Pedro Pages finished 2024 with an 83 wRC+ in 202 at-bats. However, he was lauded for his ability to work with the team's starting pitchers, and blocking, pop time, and framing were all above average, according to Baseball Savant. If the team wants a more defensive-minded club, they should employ Pedro Pages primarily.

Both Pages and Herrera have concerns surrounding their arm strength, but Pages's framing abilities are well-liked around the clubhouse.

Based on Oliver Marmol's usage of the two down the stretch last year, barring any improvements for Herrera defensively, the catching position will likely be a 50/50 split or an approximation of that next year. Having one catcher man the position for 120+ games is a thing of the past in the modern game, so a split is inevitable for the two catchers.

Two other catchers to keep an eye on this spring would be Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal, both of whom are non-roster invitees to the camp. Both Crooks and Bernal are catchers on the rise in the system, though they're probably still a year or two away.

If Pedro Pages wins the competition, expect Ivan Herrera to play more significant time at designated hitter and as a pinch hitter against left-handed pitchers later in the game. If Herrera beats out Pages, Pages will be relegated to backup-catching duties primarily.