Leo Bernal's breakout season deserves even more Cardinals hype than Joshua Baez

For as much hype and attention as St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has gotten this year, his teammate in Memphis, catcher Leo Bernal, seems even more prepared to make an impact at the next level.

That's not to discredit Baez or downplay how exciting he is, but rather, a major testament to the strides Bernal has continued to make as a prospect as well. A year younger than Baez at age 22, both are in their first seasons at Triple-A, and Bernal has produced at an extremely high level at the plate while showcasing his chops behind the plate as well.

In 89 games this year, Bernal is slashing .282/.366/.479 with 14 home runs (35 extra-base hits) and 70 RBI, good for an .845 OPS and 120 OPS+ so far this year. He's crushing the baseball, getting on base consistently, and flashing great defense both with his arm and framing ability.

While both players are exciting prospects, it's hard to argue against Bernal's success this year feeling a bit more sustainable and "Major League-ready" than Baez at the moment. Baez's swing-and-miss issues have been well-documented, and while he is improving in that area, it's the kind of profile that tends to be high-risk, high-reward at the next level.

Bernal, on the other hand, does pretty much everything well at the plate while excelling defensively as well. Thanks to cardinalsprospects.com, we can see Bernal's Triple-A "Statcast page", and there's a whole lotta red all over that screen and nothing blue that is concerning. Bernal can use some work on his own contact and chase rates as well, but they are not nearly as concerning as Baez's are.

And considering the Cardinals' continued pursuit of clarity at the catcher position, it would behoove them to give Bernal a shot as soon as possible.

The Cardinals would be wise to see how Leo Bernal handles the transition to the Major Leagues

Like we've seen with Jimmy Crooks this year, success at Triple-A does not guarantee anything at the Major League level. When it comes to catchers, that is especially true given the amount of things asked of them. Not only will Bernal have to prove he can hold his own against big-league pitching, but he'll also have to manage a Major League pitching staff and provide steady defense behind the plate.

Ivan Herrera has made strides defensively this year, but he continues to have a major problem with controlling the running game, which makes his long-term future as a catcher at least murky. Add in the fact that Herrera has struggled to stay healthy in the past, and it seems like his current workload as a part-time catcher is more sustainable than a full-time gig, especially if the Cardinals want his bat in the lineup every day.

Crooks and Pedro Pages have not done enough to lay claim to those other opportunities, and while Crooks especially could change that moving forward, Bernal clearly has the highest potential of those three. And with the Cardinals' top prospect, catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, setting Double-A on fire with his bat, there's a world where he's knocking on the door for his own big-league debut by next summer.

Getting Bernal's feet wet now benefits the Cardinals in a variety of ways. First, he can get his first taste of the big leagues and have a better feel for what he needs to work on this offseason ahead of the 2027 season. Second, the Cardinals are still in the playoff hunt, and if Bernal's career year translates to production at the big-league level, he could certainly help them close the gap in the Wild Card race. And third, from an organizational perspective, getting a look at Bernal now will help them better navigate their catching depth this offseason as they prepare for the future.

Starting Saturday, the Cardinals can call up Bernal and help him maintain his rookie eligibility for the 2027 season, something worth doing at this point, considering he has the talent to compete for the National League Rookie of the Year award. But once Saturday rolls around, I see little justification for Bernal not being on the Major League roster.

Optioning Crooks or Pages to Memphis to clear room for Bernal makes too much sense. Crooks is the likelier candidate in my eyes, since the Cardinals would likely want him to play consistently. Bernal is already on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, so they would not need to clear a spot for him. They've already used his option year as well to send him to Memphis, so they aren't wasting that by adding him.

Hopefully, Cardinals fans are rewarded with a look at Bernal soon. Yes, we all want to see Baez too, but I think many fans will be pleasantly surprised by the upside in Bernal's game.

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