photo: Leonardo Bernal (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
In a FREE article, at no. 5 in The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 prospect countdown for 2026 is a switch-hitting catcher who played his entire age 21 season at Double-A, earning a Minor League Gold Glove and a 40-man roster spot. What is next for Leonardo Bernal at a crowded position?
Position: Catcher
Age: 21 years old
Bats/Throws: B/R
Height/Weight: 6’0, 250 pounds
Acquired: Signed as an international free agent on January 15, 2021
Hometown: Panama City, Panama
College: none
Opened 2025: Springfield Cardinals (Double-A)
Primary team in 2025: Springfield Cardinals (Double-A)
Finished 2025: Springfield Cardinals (Double-A)
Prior Top 50 rankings – 2025 #8, 2024 #9, 2023 #17
Click on the above photo to be taken to Bernal’s player page at The Cardinal Nation, with additional biography and history information.
2025 highlights
| Tm | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | BB% | K% | BABIP | wRC+ |
| Spr | 455 | 0.247 | 0.332 | 0.394 | 0.726 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 10.8% | 16.9% | 0.274 | 103 |
Kyle Reis’ scouting report
Kyle’s ranking – no. 5
You’ve already received this warning about Jimmy Crooks, and you’ll get it again one more time before we finish this countdown, but I want to start with reminding everyone that catchers are the toughest to evaluate and the slowest to develop to even an MLB-capable level.
It usually takes years for a catcher to develop into a player that is capable of the demands of the “tools of ignorance”. There is so much that goes into the role, from knowing your pitching staff from top to bottom, to knowing all of the hitters across the league, to staying in shape and keeping your knees and body healthy, to almost always being asked to be the team leader, to many other things that I haven’t listed. Often, these demands eat up even the elite of the elite. I love talking about Carson Kelly because it took him until his 30’s to become the catcher that we all thought he could be.
Granted, Kelly had a late start to catching after converting from third base early in his affiliated career, so it’s not a 1-for-1 comparison.
That brings us to my favorite catching prospect in the organization, switch-hitting Leo Bernal.
There are so many reasons to be excited about Bernal. First is the work that he has done behind the plate. A year ago, any uneducated national prospect writer would point to this as his biggest deficiency and part of the reason why he wasn’t getting a ton of national love as a top catching prospect.
Regardless of the accuracy of the assessment, Bernal took it upon himself to fully dedicate himself to become the best backstop possible. With the help of the Cardinals and specifically the work of catching coordinator Ethan Goforth, Bernal turned his game up a notch. Now Bernal is a minor league Gold Glover, and he was widely considered to be the best defensive catcher at Double-A during the 2025 season. There were some sluggish moments after the midseason mark for Bernal, but this was due mostly to catching more games behind the plate in a shorter period than ever before. Leo received more DH time down the stretch, and that helped to strengthen him. Still, he’s going to have to continue to build his stamina and the ability to consistently handle a Major League-type workload.
Bernal doesn’t always have the pop times of fellow catching prospect Crooks, but they’re still sub 1.95 seconds to second base. That’ll work, especially when you consider Bernal’s plus arm. I’ve seen some describe Bernal as a poor blocker, and that’s somewhat inaccurate. I assert that he’s minor league above average, which pretty much makes him major league average at it, and what other evaluators are doing is mistaking his big, delightfully thick body as unathletic and lacking in mobility. Again, he’s a “thicc boi”, but that doesn’t prevent him going side-to-side to block pitches in the dirt. Bernal works from one knee behind the plate, and I’m sure some will think that hurts his ability to block the ball in the dirt. Well, it only does when he gets so crossed up that he can’t launch off his right knee on inside pitches to righties when he’s set up outside.
From there, Bernal has turned himself into a good game-caller and an above-average framer all around the zone. He’s really done an amazing job in cultivating himself behind the plate.
The switch-hitting of Bernal is an interesting topic, and one that I could spend no less than 200,000 words on if left unfiltered. To start, I want reemphasize how unimportant counting stats are when appraising potential. With Bernal, I was quick to tell everyone that his real power potential and swing damage ability was from the right side even though he was hitting his homers exclusively from the left side early in the season. Now that the season’s dust has settled, and a full examination of his swings from each side of the plate are possible, it’s obvious that Bernal’s right-handed cut is better designed for power and performance.
As so often happens with switch-hitters, Bernal splits his plate skills in half. His swing from the left side is loopier than from the right side, and his bat speed is slower. He’s also displayed a better approach from the left-handed side on pitches both in and out of the strike zone. From the right-handed box, Bernal is a more aggressive hitter that swings a little too frequently for his own good, even while displaying impressive walk rates. There’s some obvious balancing that he needs to achieve between each swing that will be key for his long-term switch-hitting sustainability.
Bernal’s beauty is that even with these issues, he is still a VERY good hitter from both sides of the plate. Bernal rarely misses when he’s swinging inside the zone. If he can keep the ball in the air or on a line, then his slash line will tick up as compared to what it was at the end of the 2025 Double-A season. If he’s capable of carrying what he’s doing now to the major leagues, even without advancements and development, then he’s a top 10-15 catcher in baseball in a couple of years.
The dirty little secret, and the part of his game that doesn’t get talked about enough, is how far he’s come to realize real power potential. As mentioned, Bernal has both the swing and the body that makes it easy to imagine him swatting 15+ homers at the major league level over a full season. That is especially so because of his work in-zone. Bernal will be entering his age-22 season in 2026, and all metrics under the hood regarding his power potential have ticked up year after year and from both sides of the plate. I cannot wait to see how it manifests in 2026.
2026 stands to be a big season for Bernal in his quest toward his Major League debut. There is a reason the Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. That reason is that he has a very real chance to be a top 10 catcher in baseball if everything goes exactly “right” for him. As it stands right now, Bernal is certain of some type of major league catching role once he makes it to the majors, and at least a handful of years in the majors as a backup catcher, at least. If he can continue to build on the phenomenal work he’s done behind the plate and build some stat line results that match what we are seeing under the hood, then he’ll be a Major League starter at the very least.
Brian Walton’s environmental impact report
Brian’s ranking – no. 6
For me, Bernal’s placement on this list is simple. As I detailed in Jimmy Crooks’ report, my assessment is that Bernal has not yet accomplished what Crooks already did, at the same levels. That is why I have the two ranked consecutively, with Crooks holding the slight edge. That could change down the road, or it may not.
I mention Crooks a lot in this space, as the careers of the two have been intertwined. In summary, I think very highly of both as my no. 5 and 6 prospects in the system.
Background
The switch-hitting native of Panama received widespread attention when his team earned the silver medal in the 2018 Under-15 World Cup competition.
From among the 21 players in the Cardinals’ 2021 international class, Bernal received the third highest reported bonus. That $680,000 is the highest signing payment to a Panamanian in Cardinals history (according to my records), eclipsing shortstop Edmundo Sosa’s $425,000 bonus in 2012. Bernal is the second catcher from his homeland to become a Top 10 prospect in the system, following Ivan Herrera.
In the 2021 Dominican Summer League, Bernal slashed .209/.298/.373/.671 with an unusually low .224 BABIP. Bernal fanned at a 15.7% rate and walked at a 9.8% rate, both decent marks, especially for a first-year professional. He led the club in doubles (nine), extra base hits (15) and RBI (29).
Bernal made a big jump from his debut season in the DSL to a US minor league camp invitation in March 2022. He remained in Jupiter for extended spring training through April and May and into June. His big break came on June 5, when he was promoted onto the Low-A Palm Beach roster, skipping over the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
At 18 years and four months, Bernal immediately became the youngest player on the Florida State League team’s roster. He played well enough to remain for the remainder of 2022 despite five other catchers coming through Palm Beach.
Compared to his 2021 in the DSL, his strikeout rate went up three percent to 18.7% and his walk rate fell 2.6% to 7.0%, though neither change is concerning. His splits were impressive – a .784 OPS versus left-handed pitching and .768 against righties and his wRC+ was a solid 117.
Opening 2023, collegian Crooks was equally ready for High-A Peoria and received the season-opening nod instead, which was not surprising since he had been invited to St. Louis’ spring camp. The two catchers stayed put for the entire season, though Bernal’s 2023 with Palm Beach was truncated with over a month remaining due to a right hamate (hand) fracture.
After a period of restricted playing time, Bernal officially went on the injured list on August 10, ruining any chance of promoting him to Peoria for a taste of High-A in preparation for 2024. The timing of his injury was also unfortunate as Bernal was red-hot at the plate. The switch-hitting backstop had an August line of .333/.500/.467/.967, raising his season OPS to .743.
Despite his isolated power dropping from .199 in 2022 to .097 in 2023, Bernal was a very productive cleanup hitter, plating a solid 44 runners in just 78 games. His Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) of 111 for the season was close to his 117 mark the year before.
He didn’t quite walk as often as he struck out, 49 vs. 55 in 323 plate appearances, but the ratio was still exceptional. Bernal’s walk rate of 15.2% was sixth in the Cardinals system in 2023.
Bernal began 2024 with his first Cardinals spring training camp invitation, as a non-roster invitee. As expected, he was promoted to High-A Peoria to open the season.
In late August, injuries above enabled the Cardinals to promote Crooks to Memphis and Bernal to Springfield, in preparation for their presumed homes to open 2025.
For the season with the Chiefs, Bernal was head and shoulders above his peers in most stats, including OBP at .343 and RBI with 53. He walked 37 times and hit 17 doubles, both second most on the Peoria squad. Bernal posted a .270 average and a career-high 10 home runs while playing 96 games with the Chiefs.
Bernal displayed improved defense behind the plate as he threw out 38 runners in 108 tries (35.2%), had a fielding percentage of .991, with just seven errors in 782 chances, and was charged with only four passed balls in his 88 Midwest League games caught.
Not surprisingly, Bernal did not take off immediately against the better pitching in Double-A. In 55 plate appearances over 24 games with Springfield, he slashed .204/.291/.286/.577.
In the Texas League postseason, Bernal was hot at the plate, going 4-for-10 including a double and a home run. He added two walks for a tidy .400/.500/.800/1.300 line.
His 2024 continued with an assignment to the Arizona Fall League prospect showcase.
In the AFL, Bernal adapted to receiving limited playing time and his bat came around in the final few weeks. He increased his batting average from .250 after four weeks to .304 at the end of the schedule and finished with a .764 OPS in 51 plate appearances after having a .692 mark through five weeks.
Considering the mixed reviews of Bernal’s work behind the plate to that point, it was a bit surprising that Baseball America named him the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the Cardinals system heading into 2025.
2025 recap
Bernal was invited to St. Louis’ spring camp as a non-roster player for the second consecutive spring. From the start, rosters were constructed such that Bernal was tabbed to be the primary catcher at Double-A Springfield, a job he held the entire season.
Offensively, Bernal got off to a strong start, peaking in May and June, with OPSes of .898 and .945, respectively. He was the Texas League Player of the Week for the period of May 19-25.
His second half was much poorer at the plate, however. His final three months of OPS showed declines to .639, then .577 and .491. In 22 plate appearances during the Texas League post-season, Bernal was relatively quiet with a line of .200/.273/.300/.573, but he did drive in four important runs for the league champions.
Also of concern are his lefty-righty splits. After 2024 at Peoria during which he hit lefties and righties equally well, Bernal’s 2025 results were improved against left-handed pitchers (.848 OPS), but significantly down against right-handers (.688). Maybe there is an explanation, but the numbers are what they are.
Bernal’s full season stats are listed above. It was a good but not great 2025 offensively, though he did rank among system leaders in one category. Bernal’s 70 RBI led the Double-A Cardinals, a total that was fifth highest in the system.
In a major honor, Bernal was named the 2025 Gold Glove Award winner at catcher, which included all minor league players at every level. He was only the third Cardinal to receive the award since it was created in 2011. (The others are outfielder Victor Scott in 2023 and catcher Carson Kelly in 2015.)
In 2025, Bernal threw out 39.1% of attempted base stealers, nabbing 27 in 69 attempts. That is marked improvement over his good 34.5% result in 2024 and 28.2% career mark coming into the season.
In direct conflict, however, following the season, Baseball America unseated Bernal as the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the system, replacing him with Crooks.
Also, after the Gold Glove Award was announced, I polled a professional scout about Bernal’s defense.
“Has still a lot of work to do with his catching,” the evaluator said.
In November, as expected, the Cardinals placed Bernal on their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
2026 outlook
His entire career, Bernal has been young for his leagues. That has opened the door for us to consistently project his future as being even better than his present. Bernal is still young, but he is now at the levels where he needs to produce, and as such, actual production must outweigh potential.
The defensive strides Bernal made during 2025 were important and frankly, a necessity to diminish some of the biggest concerns about his game. However, his offense was only slightly above Texas League average, with his 103 wRC+ the lowest of his four years in the US.
His Isolated Power (ISO) for the 2025 season with Springfield (.150) was almost identical to his mark at Peoria the year before (.146). So, there is more work to be done to unlock his power.
In a December 2025 article highlighting one potential breakout hitter per organization using underlying data, Baseball America noted that Bernal’s contact rate and exit velocities support the possibility that he has more power than he showed in “his solid, but unspectacular” 2025.
The points Kyle made about the unique demands placed on a catcher are real and help keep this in perspective. Still, I can’t avoid another direct comparison. Crooks tore up Texas League pitching the year prior, with a 154 wRC+ and .178 ISO before his just-above-league average showing at Triple-A the next season.
Just as Crooks may need more time at Memphis before being fully ready for the majors, perhaps Bernal’s bat would benefit from more time with Springfield.
This also greatly depends on what the Cardinals do with the catching position. They currently have five catchers on the 40-man roster plus two organizational types assigned to Memphis. If Herrera proves he can catch in the majors, the sheer numbers suggest the odds of Crooks staying with St. Louis drop.
Continuing with the dominos, the more likely Crooks returns to Memphis, the more likely Bernal is not initially promoted there. Having said that, it is not untenable for the two to be rostered on the same team and share the load. It is just that to this point in their careers, the organization has avoided it.
When all is said and done, I expect Bernal to play the majority of 2026 at Triple-A, building his experience base and starting to unlock some of his latent power.
Future outlook
Future Value: 45
Role: Platoon Player
Risk: Moderate
Kyle did a great job of outlining the range of future outcomes for Bernal, from a starting big-league catcher to a multi-season reserve. But we still don’t yet know if he can realize his full “potential”.
Of course, every prospect has more work to do, and Bernal is clearly on the right track. He has three more minor league option seasons ahead for the Cardinals to continue his development so there is no current pressure to unreasonably push him.
I will assume 2026 will be about Bernal’s further minor league growth with his St. Louis debut sometime in 2027. Perhaps by then, the Cardinals will sort out their catchers and decide which are keepers. Bernal should be among this latter group.
MLB debut: 2027
Minor league options remaining: 3
Our 2026 Top 50 series continues
To see the entire list of top Cardinals prospects, grading scales and remaining article schedule, click here. This includes the Top 50 countdown and 10 in-depth, follow-up articles breaking down the list.
50 Days, 50 Nights, 50 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects for 2026
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