Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages to be a stabilizing force for a young starting rotation

This is the first in a series of player profiles and projections for the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals. Let's start behind the dish with Pedro Pages.

How did Pedro Pages get to be where he is today?

Pedro Pages was drafted in the sixth round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Cardinals. As a prospect, Pages wasn't ranked in the club's top 30 until 2024, but he did receive positive marks for his game calling, framing, and pitch calling along with a solid arm. He wasn't, however, an exceptional hitter. His best full-season wRC+ in the minors was 110 in 2023 in Double-A Springfield.

Pages debuted on April 7, 2024, due to a Willson Contreras hand injury. He went 0-1 in his debut, but he was elated to have just made it to the big leagues.

“I came over the [Poplar Street] bridge and I was like, ‘Wow, we made it!’ And that’s when I got even more emotional,” Pagés said. “I called my dad right away as we were crossing the bridge and talked to him. I was like, ‘Dad, we made it!’ Then, we just cried together again, and I went straight to the game.”

Pages hasn't looked back since that day, and he's been the Cardinals' primary catcher over the last year and a half. He's appeared in 180 games since 2024, and he's accumulated 2.2 bWAR in that time. He's posted a career slash line of .233/.275/.368 with 18 home runs and 72 runs batted in for an OPS+ of just 80.

While Pedro's offensive numbers have left much to be desired, his defensive metrics have been admirable. He has a Fielding Run Value of +2, Defensive Runs Saved sees him as an above-average catcher with a total of 12 runs saved

What can St. Louis Cardinals fans expect out of catcher Pedro Pages in 2026?

In 2025, Pedro Pagés ranked 10th in the number of pitches outside the strike zone that were called strikes, with 265 such calls.; he's an exceptional framer. Baseball Savant ranked him ninth among all catchers in Catcher Framing Runs last year. He was also above average with his pop time and throwing runners out.

The Automated Ball-Strike System should benefit Pages in 2026, as he knows the strike zone quite well and has already shown a penchant for challenging calls in spring training. Davy Andrew wrote earlier in the offseason that ABS could benefit those catchers who are already strong framers.

Steamer projects Pages to slash .231/.290/.373 next year with only eight home runs and an 86 wRC+. ZiPS is less bullish on him, projecting a slash line of .225/.277/.359 with 10 home runs and a 78 wRC+. Once again, Pages isn't looking to be a plus hitter, but the hope is that his defense can carry his game. Both Steamer and ZiPS project him to be worth somewhere around 1.5 WAR.

With a young pitching staff in 2026, Pedro Pages will certainly have his work cut out for him. He'll have to gameplan more than ever before and help pitchers like Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy, Richard Fitts, Quinn Mathews, and Hunter Dobbins adjust to the majors. While he won't have a huge impact on the offensive side of the game, he'll certainly be valuable defensively and as a stabilizing force behind the dish.