The Cardinals hold one of baseball's deepest pools of catchers

For nearly two decades, the St. Louis Cardinals didn't have to worry about developing catchers, as Yadier Molina proved to be an iron man behind the plate. But while there's no replacing the inimitable Molina, the Cardinals have found themselves with a number of quality catchers in their minor league system.

MLB.com placed five catchers on the Cardinals' top 30 prospects list, which was the most of any team.

With the Cardinals planning to move Willson Contreras to first base full time, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are expected to receive a full season's worth of looks behind the plate. But should one of them go down with injury or get dealt at some point in the season, the Cardinals have a few options to turn to.

Jimmy Crooks was the Cardinals' highest-rated catching prospect in 2024, according to MLB.com, slotting in at No. 5. Crooks can slaughter right-handed pitching, but he has work to do against left-handers. He is also reportedly a favorite for pitchers to throw to, and he has a strong arm. Crooks spent 2024 with Double-A Springfield, where he hit .321, and while the Cardinals tend to bring their prospects along slowly, Crooks could be knocking on the major league door late in 2025.

Ninth on the prospect list is Leonardo Bernal, who hit .270 with High-A Peoria before earning a cup of coffee with Springfield. He displayed an excellent arm, as he threw out 34% of attempted base thieves in Peoria. He is a switch-hitter but has shown more aptitude from the left side.

The Cardinals have three other catchers on the top 30 list, although they are at lower levels in the system. Ryan Campos is a strong contact hitter who rarely strikes out, but he has work to do on defense. Rainiel Rodriguez, whom Bleacher Report named a potential breakout prospect for the Cardinals, showed massive power in the Dominican Summer League, with 10 home runs in 142 at-bats and a .683 slugging percentage. The last catcher on the list is Sammy Hernandez, who arrived from the Toronto Blue Jays organization in the deal for Genesis Cabrera. He has an average hit tool and shows solid defensive chops, giving him a ceiling as a backup catcher.

These young catchers would benefit immensely from Molina's tutelage. Molina is currently in a special advisor role to John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations. There was hope that Molina would arrive at Spring Training or in St. Louis in 2024 to help with player development, but that never materialized. The Cardinals are likely hoping that he can show up regularly during Spring Training in 2025 to impart his wisdom on the young team.

With promising young backstops throughout all levels of the organization and one of the greatest of all time potentially available to coach them, the Cardinals should have a bevy of potential suitors who will be well equipped to take up the tools of ignorance over the coming years.